VIDEO: Northland link to shark attack survivor

Mick Fanning was waiting for a wave in the final of a surfing contest in Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa when a large shark attacked him. PHOTO/FILE

An Aussie professional surfer grabbed by a large shark in South Africa is the cousin of Northland's National candidate Mark Osborne.

Mick Fanning was waiting for a wave in the final of a surfing contest in Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa when a large shark, believed to be a great white, grabbed the leash connecting Fanning to his board.

Fanning was shown on live television struggling to get away from the shark, before he disappeared under the water.

He surfaced and was grabbed by a support vessel in the water.

Mark Osborne, who was National's candidate in the recent Northland byelection, told the NZ Herald said he had contacted his aunty - Fanning's mother, who lives in Australia.

"Obviously it was a pretty close call, and we are all just very, very pleased that Mick has come through it alright.

It's pretty frightening stuff," Mr Osborne told the Herald.

"My aunty said...she just wanted to grab him through the television screen because she is not there in South Africa."

See the link to the video below...