Watch Australian surfer crash into shark during kite foiling race (VIDEO)

27 Dec, 2018 15:50 / Updated 6 years ago

This is the moment Australian surfer Alex Soto collided with a shark during his speedy race in the waters of Cabarete in the Dominican Republic.

GoPro footage shows Soto, who was preparing for the 2019 Pan American Games, accidentally hitting the shark and being sent flying from his board.

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The athlete from Australia later revealed that he'd spotted the shark just seconds before the collision but couldn’t do anything to prevent it as he was moving too fast.

Despite being sent flying and losing his board, the surfer was able to hold onto his kite and swam safely away from the dangerous area.

I never saw a shark in Cabarete in 14 years, when I saw the shark I was surprised,” Soto said.

We are invading their habitat, do not be surprised if you see any [sharks],” he added.

The shark survived the incident, but Soto’s board and the foil on his kite were seriously damaged.