As 2019 comes to an end, the Courier-Sun is looking back at the most popular stories from the year that was.
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From February, it's Matt Gallagher's encounter with a shark near the river mouth at Urunga, which led to him receiving a text from champion surfer Mick Fanning.
In 2015, watched by the whole world, Fanning fought off a great white during the final of the J-Bay Open in South Africa.
If you want to have a chat, call me anytime, Fanning said to Gallagher.
So he did.
Narrow escape: Urunga surfer Matt Gallagher (right) with his mate Nick Hartigan.
