3:13am UK, Friday October 24, 2003

An Icelandic fishing captain, known as "the Iceman", wrestled and killed a 300kg shark to stop it attacking his crew, according to witnesses.

Captain Sigurdur Petursson was on a beach in Kuummiit, east Greenland, watching his crew processing a catch when he saw the shark swimming towards his men.

Jaws beware!

The skipper of the trawler Erik the Red, ran into the shallow water and grabbed the shark by its tail with his bare hands.

He dragged it off to dry land and killed it with his knife.

Frede Kilime, a hunter and fisherman who witnessesed the extraordinary spectacle, said: "He caught it just with his hands. There was a lot of blood in the sea and the shark came in and he thought it was dangerous."

Icelandic author and journalist Reynir Traustason, who knows the trawler captain, said the act was typical of the man.

"He's called 'the Iceman' because he isn't scared of anything," he said.

"I know the people in that part of the world. They are really tough."