A South-American tourist has recounted the harrowing moment he was attacked by a shark in NSW.
Alejo Santiñaque, 20, who has been living in Australia for almost two years, was bitten by a shark while surfing in Brooms Head, in the state’s north earlier this week.
The Uruguay-born man had been sitting on his surfboard waiting for a wave when he suddenly felt something pierce his foot in the water at Brooms Head.
‘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.’
The surfer said the shark also became tangled in his surfboard leash, which was pulled from the board.
Alejo Santiñaque (pictured right in an ambulance) has spoken publicly about his terrifying experience in the waterÂ
‘Once it let go, I swam as fast as I could towards my board and the shore, which luckily were in the same direction,’ Mr Santiñaque said.
‘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.’
His friends were nearby and were able to apply a tourniquet as soon as he made it to shore while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.
‘I’m incredibly grateful to them for acting so quickly and staying calm under pressure,’ he said.
‘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,’ he said.
The Uruguayan (pictured lying down) escaped relatively unscathed from the incident
‘The ocean is its home, and we are the ones entering its environment.Â
‘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.’
