Great white pulls surfer underwater

A surfer survived a great white shark attack Sunday with just a few scratches after being pulled underwater along with his surfboard northwest of San Francisco, authorities said.

Royce Frailey, 43, of Guerneville, Calif., felt a surge of water beneath him and the sting of a bite as the shark pierced his board and dragged him 15 feet below the surface, rescue officials said.

Frailey held on to his board “for dear life” and “popped up like a cork” about 10 feet from his surfing buddy, said Marin County Fire Capt. Rick Wonneberger, adding that the pair then paddled safely to shore.

He said the shark’s teeth nicked Frailey’s right hip and upper thigh but did not draw blood, with the board taking the brunt of the damage.

“He was extremely lucky,” Wonneberger said.

The owners of the private beach where the attack occurred planned to post signs warning other surfers of the possible danger.

The attack was the first in 10 years along that section of the northern Marin County coast, Wonneberger said.

Last year, a 20-year-old female surfer underwent two surgeries after suffering a 19-inch shark bite on her right leg while surfing several miles north along the Sonoma County coast.