Pictured: Gruesome injuries suffered by teenager, 17, who was mauled after being surrounded by SEVEN aggressive sharks while spearfishing
- WARNING GRAPHIC: Sean Whitcombe, 17, had his left arm mauled by a shark
- He was spearfishing in Bromby Island, Northern Territory with three friends
- He striked a Spanish Mackerel and suddenly seven sharks darted at him
A teenage boy who had his left arm savagely mauled by a two-metre shark while spearfishing reveals his brush with death when seven sharks darted at him.
Sean Whitcombe, 17, was with three friends for a two-day fishing adventure from Nhulunbuy to Bromby Island, in the Northern Territory on November 9.
Sean told Daily Mail Australia he was spearfishing in about six-metre deep waters when he had his eyes on a Spanish mackerel.
Sean Whitcombe took the boat out with three friends for a two-day spearfishing adventure from Nhulunbuy to Bromby Island, in the Northern Territory which ended up with his left arm being savagely mauled by an arm
Sean told Daily Mail Australia he was spearfishing in about six-metre deep waters when he had his eyes on a Spanish mackerel
'I swam down and shot it and swam back to the surface pulling it in once I hit the surface.
Suddenly, seven sharks came darting towards him.
Sean said that sharks were common in the north coast but he had never seen so many of them at once.
'Never had I seen them so aggressive and in that many numbers after shooting a fish,' he said.
'All of a sudden I had all these sharks come up after the mackerel. I watched it get eaten and once that happened I remember the sharks swimming away. Then one from underneath came in that I didn’t see and got a hold of my arm and the first thing I had to do was get it off,' Sean said.
(Pictured) GRAPHIC WARNING: Sean's wounded left arm after the shark attack. 'I squeezed as hard as I got to stop the bleeding whilst kicking away and keeping above water and yelling for help,' Sean said
The 17-year-old bravely hit the shark's eye before it let go of his left arm.
'I had grabbed the side of its face, must have pushed its eye and it let go.'
He said once he got rid of the shark, he used his right arm to squeeze the wound which was flowing with blood.
'I squeezed as hard as I could to stop the bleeding whilst kicking away and keeping above water and yelling for help,' he said.
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Sean said there was so much rushing in his mind in the heat of the moment.
'I first thought I was going to die in the water. Then once out I thought I was going to lose my arm then back to thinking I was going to die just a lot of things at once.'
Sean's friend Joe rushed in his tinny and brought him back to the big boat which was anchored about 50 meters away from the attack.
'My arm just looked ripped up,' he said.
Yet the journey back to land was long and painful for Sean.
Sean estimates he lost about 1-2 liters of blood during the two-hour journey back to Nhulunbuy.
Sean is picked up by ambulance services after the two-hour journey back to Nhulunbuy. He estimates he lost about 1-2 liters of blood in this time
The 17-year-old has been in hospital for just over a month and during that time he has undergone five surgeries
The 17-year-old has been in hospital for just over a month and during that time he has undergone five surgeries.
While he said his arm won't ever be 100 per cent back to normal, he's thankful he still has his arm.
'The doctors are just putting it back together as best as they can,' he said.
Sean said if it wasn't for his mate Joe, he doesn't know if he'd still be alive today.
He said Joe performed first aid on his arm in the boat and did an 'awesome job' along with his other friend Chicko.
While Sean said his arm won't ever be 100 per cent back to normal, he's thankful he still has his arm
