A man who fended off an 8ft shark by stabbing it in the gills has revealed the teeth left in his arm after the attack are being turned into jewellery.
Angus Kockott, 20, from East London, South Africa, was snorkeling in shallow waters off Mangareva Island, French Polynesia, when he was attacked on May 23.
Out of nowhere, a suspected gray reef shark approached him from behind a reef – and clamped its jaws on his arm.
Fortunately, a quick-thinking Angus was able to get a 4-inch knife (used for cutting diving lines) from his pocket and stab the shark in the gills before swimming to safety.
An emergency military plane was called to take him to the nearest hospital, where he underwent a six-hour life-saving operation.
Angus Kockott, 20, from East London, South Africa, is seen in hospital in Tahiti, French Polynesia, where he underwent life-saving surgery after being attacked by a suspected gray reef shark
Angus takes a selfie while swimming around Mangareva in French Polynesia before the attack happened
Pictured: The silhouette of a gray reef shark is seen against beams of light in the Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
The reef shark’s sharp teeth severed two of the major nerves in Angus’ arm, plus some tendons.
He had undergone skin and nerve grafts and had several teeth and tooth fragments removed from the injured limb.
While he is still undergoing physio and nerve treatments, Angus says it won’t stop him from getting back in the water.
He described the attack as a “defining experience” in his life – and he is even given earrings made from the teeth pulled from his arm.
Angus said: ‘When the shark bit I didn’t have time to panic; you just have to act when you have so much adrenaline in such situations.
‘At first I felt enormous pain, I really thought I was going to lose my arm.
‘After my nerve transplant and skin transplant it is healing well, but I take it day by day.
‘It has been a defining experience in my life and that is why I have earrings made from the teeth.
‘It hasn’t put me off being in the ocean – I can’t wait to get back…’
A muzzled image shows Angus’ shark bite after the attack, which he says left his arm ‘like a drumstick’
Angus shows how his arm was able to heal after the attacks, thanks to a skin graft he received using skin from his left thigh and a nerve graft using nerves transplanted from the back of his heel
This image shows a reef in the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia
Angus was sailing with a friend around the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia, but the pair had split up to do some freediving when he was attacked.
He just managed to extend his arm to protect his head and neck before the shark attacked.
He said: ‘Seeing that shark right before it bit me was a real ”oh sh*t” moment.
‘My first reaction was to use my knife to cut lines, and I just went at the shark as hard as I could.
‘It was only a small knife, but I’m very glad I had it with me that day.
‘After he let go of my arm I couldn’t see anything except a huge pool of blood around me, but I managed to stand on a reef.
‘My arm was literally spurting blood – it looked like a stripped drumstick…’
Angus tied a pair of goggles around his arm to make a makeshift tourniquet.
His friend helped him get to safety in a nearby town, Rikitea, and he was taken to Taaone Hospital in Tahiti.
Angus is seen here with his parents. After spending three weeks in Tahiti recovering from his injuries, he flew home to South Africa for further treatment
The next day the doctors took [his] take apart the arm and put it back together’.
After spending three weeks in Tahiti recovering from his injuries, he flew home to South Africa for further treatment.
The nerves in his arm were completely severed by the attack, leaving him with little movement or feeling.
He underwent a skin graft using skin from his left thigh and a nerve graft using nerves transplanted from the back of his heel.
Angus added: ‘If I hadn’t blocked the shark with my arm it could have gone to my neck – my jugular vein was there. I would have been toast.
‘Otherwise, if he bit me again, I would have been too injured to fight back or get away.
“I think I would have died in the water or drowned.”
Angus is eager to get back in the water and continue his training for a career in sailing.
“My assumption was that it was a territory issue; you can’t blame the animal,” he said.