Shark Attack Survivor Relives His Torrid Tale

By Georgia Swanborough on August 17, 2012 in News

Glenn Orgias has experienced one of Australia’s worst nightmares first hand (no pun intended). In February 2009, he survived a shark attack at Bondi Beach. Three years later he has relived those memories in his first novel, Man in A Grey Suit.

Most people would expect that the experience of losing a hand to a shark would be extremely difficult to live with. However, Glenn holds an incredibly positive attitude towards the attack.

“My story happened to me, the shark attack happened, and it became an opportunity,” Orgias told The Beast.

Orgias began to write Man in A Grey Suit as soon as he was out of hospital. Although he doesn’t deny that reliving the memories of the attack was a difficult experience, he also feels it was a positive one.

“It was quite good to get it out of my head and onto paper. It helped me to move on from it,” he said.

Inspiringly, a mere four months after the incident Orgias was back out in the surf, aided by a custom designed ‘fin’ built into the sleeve of his wetsuit to help improve his paddling power on his left side where he lost his hand.

“I accept that there are possible consequences to being in the ocean and once I choose to accept those, I might as well go out there and enjoy myself.”

The shark attack is not the only yarn readers can expect from the novel. At the time of the attack, Orgias and his wife Lisa were expecting their first child.

“What made me become a happier person was meeting my wife. The book is about a shark attack for sure, but for me it’s primarily a love story.”

Orgias is grateful for the support he’s been shown throughout his whole experience and realises that it would have been much harder to move on had it not been for the help of those around him.

“The local community was absolutely amazing on the night [of the attack]. There’s just been a real sense of community down there for me and it’s meant a lot to me,” he said.

Orgias’ book, Man in A Grey Suit is available from all good bookstores including Bondi’s Gertrude & Alice, or online at www.penguin.com.au. You can find out more about the book and the man himself at www.glennorgias.com.au.