A South-American tourist has recounted the harrowing moment he was attacked by a shark in NSW.
Alejo, 20, had been living peacefully in Australia for almost two years, before being involved in the attack a few days ago.
The Uruguay born man was sitting on his surfboard in anticipation of catching a wave, before experiencing a firm strike on his foot in the water.
This sudden hit turned out to be a vicious shark biting Alejo in the middle of the water.
‘Everything happened incredibly fast – I don’t think more than two seconds passed between the bite and my reaction,’ he wrote on Facebook.
‘It pulled me into the water, and my immediate response was to kick it as hard as I could to make it let go.’
Alejo (pictrured right in an ambulance) has spoken publicly about his terrifying experience in the water
The Uruguayan (pictured lying down) escaped relatively unscathed from the incident
The surfer has claimed the animal became tangled in his surfboard leash, which ended up separating from the board as a result.
‘Once it let go, I swam as fast as I could towards my board and the shore, which luckily were in the same direction,’ Alejo added.
‘Those moments were extremely intense because I had no idea if the shark would come back, so my only focus was getting out of the water.’
He has since revealed what exactly happened after he made it to shore.
‘Fortunately, my friends were nearby. As soon as I reached the shore, they helped me immediately and applied a tourniquet until the ambulance arrived,’ Alejo said.
‘I’m incredibly grateful to them for acting so quickly and staying calm under pressure.
‘Considering what could have happened, I was very lucky.
‘The bite tore through skin and muscle, ruptured one tendon and damaged a few others, but it missed any major arteries.’
Despite being involved in the terrifying ordeal, the 20-year-old isn’t holding any ill feelings towards sharks.
‘I also want to say something that is important to me: I don’t hold any resentment towards the shark,’ Alejo said.
‘The ocean is its home, and we are the ones entering its environment.
‘As surfers, swimmers and ocean users, we all know that even though incidents like this are extremely rare, the risk is always there.
‘This experience has given me an even greater appreciation for life, my friends, and everyone who helped me that day.
‘Now my focus is on recovery and getting back on my feet.’
