Surfer Fights Off Sharks — Article Cloze

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Read the article about the surfer's shark encounter and choose the word or phrase that best completes each sentence.

Kite surfer Johann Schmidt recently — choose —faced withfound himselfgives credit in a battle against sharks in the Red Sea during a kite surfing — choose —voyageexcursionvicinity .

Schmidt had planned to sail 124 miles across the Red Sea when the wind suddenly stopped. At about two-thirds the way into his trip, his kite was — choose —stabbeddeflatedbuilt up and he was — choose —faced withbrave outfound himself having to — choose —brave outfighting offfaced with the situation until help arrived.

Reportedly, the 42-year-old Schmidt waited 40 hours for help to arrive. He survived the — choose —exhaustionordealpremonition by — choose —nourishingnourishmentbuilt up himself with two energy bars, some water, and energy drinks. But — choose —dehydrationnourishingnourishment was the least of his problems as he spent a good amount of his time — choose —fighting offstabbedbrave out sharks.

In an interview with News Agency One, Schmidt described the challenges he was — choose —brave outfaced withfound himself while waiting for the National Coast Guard to arrive.

"I was surfing along when the wind just completely stopped. After waiting for an hour-and-a-half, no winds came back, but waves had — choose —built upresponsedeflated and night was arriving, so I called SOS on my hand-held radio, then called again three hours later, but there was no — choose —premonitionbuilt upresponse ." He also shot flares out toward passing fisherman, but was not noticed .

Schmidt says the first night stuck on the sea was "peaceful" and he'd made a raft with his board and drifted about. The second night, however, was not peaceful as winds pushed him into a reef where sharks were in the — choose —excursionvoyagevicinity .

"They were about 8 to 15 feet long. They attacked me through my kite, which must've also attracted them because of its color," Schmidt said. "I — choose —fighting offdeflatedstabbed them in the eyes, nose and gills. The fight, which I've miraculously survived, took the whole night. By the morning, they were gone. There were eleven of them."

He — choose —premonitiongives creditfound himself to his brother Tim who'd made him take the knife on the trip. "Maybe he had a — choose —ordealresponsepremonition ," noted Schmidt.

Eventually, he was rescued by a military boat and was brought to a hospital. He is doing well and suffers no injuries, but did experience — choose —dehydrationordealexhaustion and — choose —dehydrationexhaustionnourishment , reported NBC Miami.

This isn't Schmidt's first attempt at a long — choose —voyagevicinityexcursion across an ocean. He once crossed the Baltic Sea on his kiteboard. "I'm always prepared with energy bars and drinks, but from now on, I will always carry a knife."