A man who fought off an 8ft shark by stabbing it in the gills has revealed that teeth left embedded in his arm from the attack are being turned into jewellery.
Angus Kockott, 20, from East London, South Africa, was snorkelling in shallow waters off the island of Mangareva, 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, quick-thinking Angus was able to pull a 4-inch blade, used for cutting dive lines, from his pocket to 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 surgery.
Angus Kockott, 20, from East London, South Africa, is treated at a 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 occurred.
Pictured: The silhouette of a gray reef shark is seen against rays of light at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia.
The reef shark’s sharp teeth severed two of the main nerves in Angus’s arm, as well as some tendons.
Skin and nerve grafts were performed, and several teeth and tooth fragments were recovered from the injured limb.
While he is still receiving physiotherapy and nerve treatments, Angus said that has not stopped him from getting back in the water again.
She described the attack as a “defining experience” in her life, and is even having earrings made from the teeth knocked out of her arm.
Angus said: “When the shark bit me I didn’t have time to panic – you just have to act when you get that kind of adrenaline in those situations.”
‘At first I felt immense pain; I really thought I was going to lose my arm.
‘After my nerve and skin graft, it’s healing well, but I’m taking it day by day.
‘It has been a defining experience in my life and that is why I am going to make earrings with my teeth.
“It hasn’t deterred me from being in the ocean; I can’t wait until I can get back…”
A muffled 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 go freediving when he was attacked.
He barely 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, it was a real ‘oh shit’ moment.”
‘My first reaction was to use my knife to cut lines, and I just attacked the shark as hard as I could.
“It was just a small knife, but I’m very glad I had it 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 get to my feet on a reef.
“My arm was literally dripping with blood; it looked like a bare drumstick…”
Angus tied a pair of glasses around his arm to create a makeshift tourniquet.
His friend helped him to safety in a nearby village, 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 to South Africa for further treatment.
The next day, doctors “took his arm apart 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 had been completely severed by the attack, meaning he had little movement or sensation.
He had a skin-to-skin graft from his left thigh and a nerve graft with nerves transplanted from the back of his heel.
Angus added: “If I hadn’t blocked the shark with my arm, it could have gone for my neck – my jugular vein was right there.” I would have been fried.
‘Or, if it had come back to bite me, I would have been too hurt to defend myself or escape.
“I think I would have died in the water or drowned then.”
Angus is looking forward to getting back on the water and continuing his training for a career in sailing.
“My assumption was that it was a territory issue; you can’t blame the animal,” he said.