While Mick Fanning and Julian Wilson were hauled on to rescue craft and ferried to shore last weekend in the aftermath of Fanning’s scuffle with a great white shark, one man was forgotten in the chaos.

Kelly Cestari, one of the Jeffrey Bay Open’s official photographers had initially waved on rescuers so they could more quickly get to the aid of Fanning, as he tread water some 150 metres away. But as he watched Fanning, and then Wilson, successfully make their way to shore on the rescue craft, the South African became acutely aware of his own peril when it became apparent he’d been forgotten.

Photographer Kelly Cestari. Photograph: World Surf League

Cestari was left to make the 50-metre swim to shore as calmly as he could alone.

“It’s a bit of a haze, I’m trying to figure out what was going through my head because I saw the splash and then a fin,” Cestari recounted to World Surf League.com. “Initially I stayed in the water thinking is this a photo we need? Is this something I should document?’ But the boats were gone so I needed to get in.

“I actually hung around for like maybe a minute thinking the jetskis would come back to me. Once I realised they were going in, it was time for me to swim in.”

The photographer, who’s an experienced swimmer and diver said he’s had passing encounters with smaller sharks before, and used that knowledge to keep his nerve.

“[Second photographer] Kirstin Scholtz was freaking out because I was taking the slowest swim in you could ever do. Apparently she was on the beach screaming at me to swim in while I was taking what looked like a casual swim.

“All I can remember is that I didn’t want to cause too much splash, catching the swells as I was coming in. I was maybe 50 metres from shore so it was pretty quick until I was on rocks and mussels.”

Australian surfer Mick Fanning returns to water for first time since shark attack Read more

It wasn’t until Cestari was safely to shore that the reality of the ordeal hit him.

“Once I had gotten out of my wetsuit I had a few moments to think about it and that’s when I sort of started having a meltdown. Going through all the different scenarios that could have happened but thankfully didn’t.”

The J-Bay Open was cancelled in the wake of the attack and Fanning has since returned to Australia. Although the three-time world champion had foreshadowed a break from surfing after the shock of the attack in South Africa, Fanning has since returned to the water, paddling out from his Tweeds Head home on Saturday.

“First surf back. Feels so good. Surfed by myself but had Andy [Irons, the late three-times world champion] in my thoughts. Happy Birthday brother,” Fanning wrote on his instagram.

Fanning’s next World Surfing League event is the Billabong Pro, which takes place in Tahiti in August.