MELBOURNE - A fisherman who survived a shark attack aboard a fishing boat off Queensland says his skipper put his hand down the shark's throat to free his mangled leg.
Gold Coast fisherman Jarryd Tinson, 20, hauled a three-metre mako shark onto a tuna boat about 7.30am (9.30amNZT) on Sunday, more than 100 nautical miles off Coolangatta.
But Mr Tinson said the shark did "a big banana" on him as he was about to clean it.
The 90kg shark whipped around and bit him on the right calf when he stepped over it.
"It was just a normal fishing day, hauled up a shark and got him on deck and was on standby to clean him and yeah ... misjudged him, he was laying there placid," Mr Tinson told the Nine Network from his Gold Coast Hospital bed.
"I went to step over him and he did a big banana on me and yeah, just took to my knee, thought he had a big bit of bait."
Mr Tinson said the skipper and two crew members came to the rescue, as they desperately tried to pull the shark's jaws apart.
"The skipper put a bit of a hole in there, just below the jaws, and then got the hand in there to try to pull it open," Mr Tinson said.
"One or two crew were on the nose side, trying to pull it away but just so lucky he didn't do any spins on me ... because if he did a spinner, I'd be walking away with half a calf."
Mr Tinson, who had surgery to repair his damaged leg, said the pain was severe as he recovered from the ordeal.
"Most of the damage really happened when the shark let go and ripped down my leg and then it took bits of skin off," he said.
Mr Tinson said he was raring to get back on the water within two weeks and make some good money from a big haul.
"Because the money's been pretty good, I was thinking about the next trip and if my leg was going to be all right," he said.
