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Shark-wrangling Grandpa Fired for Taking Vacation

by Steph Spencer

Wrangling shark away from the beach in Queensland ©

A man whose actions to protect children from a wayward shark went viral on the Internet, has been fired from his job back in Britain as a result.

Paul Marshallsea, 62, was on holiday near Brisbane, Australia when a shark entered the shallow waters of the beach he was enjoying. Marshallsea and several other men was filmed steering the shark clear of the area where crowds had gathered, including many small children, and toward open water.

On stress leave from his employment at Pant and Dowlais Boys and Girls Club in Wales since April 2012, Marshallsea was advised by his doctor to take a vacation. Nevertheless, his employer apparently interpreted the video as evidence of malingering, and sent him a letter of dismissal.

Read more about this in The Calgary Herald.

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About the Author

Stephanie Spencer is a freelance travel writer from Canada who has been held captive by the travel industry for over 13 years. An incurable smart aleck, notorious purple fanatic, hat person, and ukulele player of questionable abilities, Stephanie explores the geeky side of travel on her blog A Nerd At Large, and dispenses random quirkiness as @ANerdAtLarge on Twitter. She truly believes that anything is possible with enough determination and copious amounts of chocolate.