Mick Fanning's mother watched in terror as a huge shark attacked the champion surfer in South Africa, fearing she had lost another son.

Elizabeth Osborne was watching the J-Bay Open surf competition live on television when the shark stalked her son.

"I was just beside myself with fear really," Ms Osborne told 9NEWS.

"I just stood up, ran over to the television and really wanted to just pull him out of the television, I mean I think that sounds funny, but just to save my boy, but he did a wonderful job himself."

TV cameras captured the moment a large fin broke the surface of the water behind the surfer and attacked.

Shedding tears of shock, Ms Osborne described how her terror turned to overwhelming relief when it became clear Fanning had survived unscathed.

"Until I saw him on that jetski I was overwhelmed," she said.

"Even though you think about sharks and you know that sharks are all around J-Bay you never think it's going to happen."

She said she was sure her late son, Sean, who died in a car crash about 17 years ago, was looking out for his brother.

"It's the worst thing I've ever seen happen to any of my family because it was just there in front of me. When Sean was killed in the car accident, I didn't see it. I saw this just in front of me. It was just terrible," Ms Osborne said in an interview with ABC radio.

The shark approaches Fanning from behind. (AAP)

Ms Osborne told of the pride she felt for her son, who punched the shark in the fight of his life.

"We always say in our family 'we never give up and we never give in'. And he didn't. He's such a fighter," she said.

A safety boat and several jet skis immediately rushed into the contest area to pull the triple world champion from the water and scare off the predator, while Wilson was also hauled onto the back of another jet ski.



The leg rope on Fanning's board was severed by the shark and he said there was a "small impression" left in his board.

"I was just sitting there and I felt something just get stuck in my leg rope, and I was kicking, trying to get it away," Fanning said afterwards.

"I instantly just jumped away. It kept coming at my board and I was kicking and screaming.

"I just saw fins. I was waiting for teeth. I punched it in the back."



Fanning sat leaning forward on the safety boat, with his arms on his knees, shaking his head after the attack.

Wilson also described the harrowing moment and said he feared Fanning was “gone”.

“It came up, and he was wrestling it, and I saw the whole thing, then I saw he got knocked off his board, and then like a little wave popped up and I just thought, he’s gone, he’s gone under,” he said.

“I felt like I couldn’t get there quick enough.”

READ MORE: Julian Wilson describes paddling towards Fanning and the shark

Ms Osborne told ABC radio she'd be forever grateful to Wilson.

"They are just such great friends and Julian is such a beautiful boy."

Wilson shared this photo of the poignant moment he and Fanning shared after the incident. (Twitter) (twitter)

Fanning is comforted by surfing champion Kelly Slater. (AAP)

Surfing champion Kelly Slater, who had just come in from the water, said now he had "seen it all".

"It was actually surreal to me because I was just coming up the beach and if I had been more patient, I might have got Mick's good one at the end, I might have been that guy right there you know," Slater said.

"I saw all the boats and skis go straight to the line-up and I was like there's only one possible reason that would ever happen ever in a contest, somebody got whacked by a shark.

"I'm half way between cry and laughing cause it's like, he got so lucky, and you know, he's getting looked after.

"I'm sort of lost for words to be honest."

World Surfing League deputy commissioner Renato Hickel initially said there were two sharks involved.

"We have rules and regulations in place for these incidents," he said.

"There were actually two sharks so three horns were blasted and we have the heat on hold.”

It was later revealed only one shark was involved.

Hickel initially said the final would resume once Fanning and Wilson had been counselled to ensure they were not too traumatised.

However, WSL commissioner Kieran Perrow later called off the final.

The prize money and competition points will be split between Fanning and Wilson.