Surfer, 20, Says Shark Mauled Him and Dragged Him Under Water. Here’s How He Escaped the Terrifying Attack

“The bite tore through skin and muscle, ruptured one tendon and damaged a few others, but it missed any major arteries,” the surfer said

NEED TO KNOW

• A surfer in Australia recalled how he survived a terrifying shark attack during which the wild animal dragged him under water
• Alejo Santiñaque said the incident occurred at a remote beach within Yuraygir National Park in New South Wales
• The 20-year-old said he kicked the shark until it released him before swimming to shore, where friends applied a tourniquet 

A surfer in Australia is recalling how he survived a harrowing shark attack during a beach outing with friends.

The recent incident occurred at a remote beach within Yuraygir National Park in New South Wales, Australia, according to The Daily Mail, The U.S. Sun, and GB News.

The surfer, Alejo Santiñaque, said he considers himself lucky to be alive, according to a June 3 Facebook post in which he shared his firsthand account of the alleged attack.

Santiñaque, 20, who said he is originally from Uruguay and has been living in Australia for two years, said he was sitting on his surfboard when, “I suddenly felt a hard hit and a strong pull on my foot.”

“A shark had bitten me,” he continued. “Everything happened incredibly fast — I don’t think more than two seconds passed between the bite and my reaction.”

Santiñaque said he was then pulled from his board into the water, and that his “immediate response” was to kick the animal in the hopes it would release him.

“At some point it became tangled in my leash, which ended up separating from the board because of the force of the pull,” he added.

Santiñaque said that the shark ultimately let him go, at which point he swam toward shore as fast as he could.

“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,” he added.

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He went on to say that while it was “a very intense situation with a lot of adrenaline” he managed to stay calm, which he believes was “crucial” for his survival.

“From the moment I was bitten until I reached the beach, I focused on what I needed to do and avoided panicking,” he added.

The surfer said he reached shore, and his friends immediately applied a tourniquet and waited with him until emergency services arrived.

“Considering what could have happened, I was very lucky,” Santiñaque continued. “The bite tore through skin and muscle, ruptured one tendon and damaged a few others, but it missed any major arteries. Looking at how serious shark attacks can be, I know I got off lightly.”

He concluded his statement by stating that he holds no ill will or resentment toward the animal that bit him, emphasizing that he was in the shark’s territory. 

“The ocean is its home, and we are the ones entering its environment,” he said.

“As surfers, swimmers and ocean users, we all know that even though incidents like this are extremely rare, the risk is always there,” Santiñaque continued.

He added: “Sharks are not villains or monsters. They are wild animals and an essential part of the marine ecosystem. What happened was a very unfortunate accident, but it doesn’t change the love and respect I have for the ocean.

Santiñaque said that his focus is now on recovery and getting back on his feet.

PEOPLE reached out to local emergency services regarding the incident but did not receive an immediate response.