Surfer rides on back of shark

SEASIDE, Ore., Oct. 13 (UPI) -- An Oregon surfer who was knocked off his board by a 10- to 12-foot shark said he wound up riding for a few seconds on the large beast's back.

Doug Niblack, whose story was backed up by witnesses, said he was surfing Monday at "the cove" in Seaside when the shark, which he suspects was a great white, knocked him off his board, KATU-TV, Portland, Ore., reported Thursday.

Niblack said he landed on the shark's back and the monster fish lifted him out of the water above his knees for several seconds before swimming away.

"It pulled my leg about three feet, hooked on my leash, then it was gone," Niblack said. "And that was the scariest part, when I didn't know where it was anymore."

Niblack and fellow surfer Jake Marks said they paddled to shore as quickly as they could.

"You just have that fight or flight thing going on," Marks said. "The shark was a lot bigger than us, so we chose flight."

Experts said shark sightings are rare on the Oregon coast, but they are sometimes found in the area.