Shark attack survivor thought 'eyeballing' shark had his number

Shark attack survivor Dave Quinlivan thought he would die when a great white shark "eyeballed" him as it leapt from the water and latched onto his ankle.

The 65-old retired firefighter from Newcastle told friends he feared he would bleed to death on Friday as he paddled back to shore with blood gushing from the artery where he was bitten on his left ankle.

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Mr Quinlivan told his best mate of 40 years, Gary Jones, the shark jumped from the water about 50 metres off shore and bit down and started shaking its head.

"He said the shark has literally just jumped straight out of the water and grabbed onto his left ankle," Mr Jones told the Newcastle Herald.

"His paddle is gone so he has no way of defending himself."

The shark relaxed its jaw for a second, but only so it could get a better grip before it started thrashing about as it bit down again.

"Dave said, 'I'm sitting there eyeballing this thing and then it just shook the s*** out of me'."

A long-time member of the Black Head Surf Club, Mr Quinlivan was knocked off his surf ski when he saw the "silver flash" dart through the water and prepared to be attacked.

He managed to escape the shark and swim to shore on his surf ski with "blood spurting from his severed artery", Mr Jones said.

Mr Quinlivan underwent further treatment at John Hunter Hospital on Sunday following the two-metre great white shark attack on Friday afternoon at Black Head Beach, north of Forster.

Morning news break – September 7