A swimmer who lost his leg in a savage shark attack off the coast of Queensland, has shared his harrowing story – and gruesome footage of the life-changing incident.
Heart-pounding footage shows the moments after 20-year-old Matteo Mariotti, an Italian student from Parma, was set upon by the creature last Friday at the remote 1770 beach some 130km (80 miles) north of Bundaberg.
The shark tore into his leg as he swam, ripping it apart, and an eerie cloud of crimson can be seen surrounding Mariotti in the video as he screamed and thrashed his way back to the surface.
He was only able to escape after his friend and diving instructor, Tommaso Agosti, swiftly dragged him ashore and attempted to calm Mariotti’s breathing while staunching the bleeding as help arrived.
Mariotti was rushed to hospital to undergo surgery, yet after several attempts doctors were unable to save his leg and were forced to amputate it below the knee.
But the student remains in high spirits, and in an Instagram post told his friends, family and followers of his gratitude, having cheated near certain death.
Tommaso is seen grabbing Mariotti by the arm and hauling him to shore as a cloud of crimson blood surrounds him
Chunks of Mariotti’s leg are seen hanging off in the harrowing video
Matteo Mariotti – the Italian student attacked by a shark in
Mariotti is seen screaming for help at the shoreline as the water around him turns red
Mariotti can be heard screaming for help in the video as he splashes his way to the shoreline
Mariotti’s leg is seen in bloody shreds just seconds after the attack took place
Mariotti is seen lying on the shore writhing in pain after being hauled clear of the water by Tommaso
‘I played this video a few moments after the last bite. I wanted to say goodbye, I never thought I’d survive that monster,’ Mariotti wrote in the hours after the attack.
‘Lost so much blood, and my leg – I don’t know if they’re going to cut it all off or if it’s going to be left in half but it doesn’t matter now.
‘You are my heroes, you give me strength to carry on with your texts and calls, my only dream is to see you again. Sorry if I can’t reply to you but I’m very tired and my head hurts.’
Then in a playful yet touching message to his rescuer, he wrote: ‘I owe you my life. (Tommaso called me an idiot because I didn’t have the n insurance medicine, fortunately I had another one made in Italy before I left).’
The breed of the shark that attacked the student is not yet known.
Matteo Mariotti, an Italian student from Parma, was set upon by the creature last Friday at a remote beach some 80 miles north of Bundaberg
Ambulance service paramedics were called to 1770 beach around 4pm on Friday after reports of an injured swimmer
Mariotti had been in since November 2022 to pursue studies in marine biology.
Besides his rescuer Tommaso, he attributes his miraculous survival to his late grandfather, who passed away just a day before the shark encounter.
The young student, who had temporarily taken a break from his studies to seek solace on the beach amid the grief, credits his grandfather’s spirit for guiding him through the perilous situation.
But Mariotti now faces a challenging road to recovery, having undergone multiple surgeries, with additional procedures planned following the amputation aimed at improving his chances of rehabilitation.