Terrifying moment surfer is savaged by great white shark before swimming 600m to shore with blood gushing from leg | The Sun
A SURFER incredibly "saved his own life" and swam 600m back to shore after his leg was savaged by a great white shark.
The man, in his 20s, miraculously made it back to the sand at Gnarabup Beach in Western Australia alive after his terrifying ordeal.
He had been riding the waves in the Margaret River region on Monday morning when he was ambushed by the underwater beast.
The extraordinary close call was caught on camera as pals filmed his stunts near the Boat Ramp surfing spot from the safety of the shoreline at around 8.45am.
Chilling footage shows the shark making its way towards the bloke as a wave breaks, before his surfboard flies through the air.
As the sea calms, a singular mighty splash can be seen as the great white launches a ferocious attack on the helpless Aussie.
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The beast sunk its terrifying teeth into his left leg, locking him in a deathly grip hundreds of metres away from the shore.
But the plucky surfer somehow managed to fight the shark off and escape while his gruesome wound was gushing with blood.
He then faced a fearsome race back to the beach with the great white hot on his heels.
The man was able to paddle back to shore despite losing "a lot of blood" and being hindered by his savaged leg.
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An off-duty nurse rushed to give him first aid and tended to the deep gash on the sand before paramedics arrived.
The brave bloke was taken to Margaret River Hospital following the dramatic incident with non-life-threatening injuries.
Reports say he was later transferred to Bunbury Hospital for further treatment but is currently in a stable condition.
The surfer has been hailed as a hero by beachgoers who watched the horror unfold, who credited him with "saving his own life."
Onlookers told 9News he had "lost a lot of blood" after grappling with the great white at the popular beach Down Under.
Chillingly, the shark was spotted lurking nearby just 15 minutes after brutally biting the surfer.
The Sharksmart WA website issued an alert warning locals that a shark had been spotted just after 9am.
The Shire of Augusta Margaret River then announced all beaches from Gas Bay to Margaret River Mouth would be closed until further notice.
A statement said: "To ensure the safety of our community, please do not enter the water during this time."
The incident marks the seventh shark attack on beaches across Western Australia this year.
Western Australia's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is investigating the attack.
Officials have urged swimmers to take extra care around the Gnarabup and Prevelly area due to the presence of sharks.
They are continuing to monitor activity in the region's coastal waters and asked locals to report any sightings to the Water Police on 9442 8600.
In February, a teenage girl was mauled to death by a shark after she jumped off her jet ski to swim with a pod of dolphins.
Stella Berry had been enjoying a day on Swan River with her pals when she was attacked by what was thought to be a bull shark.
A swimmer was then dragged underwater and killed by a shark in front of dozens of fishermen and beachgoers over a week later.
The tragedy at Little Bay Beach near Malabar, the first deadly attack in nearly 60 years near Sydney, left witnesses vomiting and shaking.
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In April, an 11-year-old boy was mauled by a shark while snorkelling just a few metres from the shore in the Shire of Exmouth.
A surfer, 46, then passed away after being ambushed by a shark at a popular beach near Elliston in May.
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