A swimmer who lost his leg in a ferocious shark attack off the Queensland coast has shared his harrowing story – and gruesome footage of the life-changing incident.
Stunning footage shows the moments after 20-year-old Matteo Mariotti, an Italian student from Parma, was attacked by the creature on the remote 1770 Beach, about 130km (80 miles) north of Bundaberg, last Friday.
The shark tore into his leg as he swam, tearing it apart, and in the video an eerie purple cloud can be seen surrounding Mariotti as he screams and fights his way back to the surface.
He was only able to escape after his friend and diving instructor Tommaso Agosti quickly dragged him to shore and tried to calm Mariotti's breathing while stopping the bleeding as help arrived.
Mariotti was taken to the hospital for surgery, but after several attempts, doctors were unable to save his leg and had to amputate it below the knee.
But the student remains in high spirits and, in an Instagram post, expressed his gratitude to his friends, family and followers for bringing him close to certain death.
Tommaso grabs Mariotti by the arm and drags him to the shore as a cloud of purple blood surrounds him
In the harrowing video, parts of Mariotti's leg can be seen hanging down
Matteo Mariotti – the Italian student who was attacked by a shark in Australia
Mariotti can be seen screaming for help on the shore as the water around him turns red
In the video, Mariotti can be heard screaming for help as he makes his way to shore
Just seconds after the attack, Mariotti's leg can be seen in bloody shreds
Mariotti is seen lying on the bank writhing in pain after being pulled out of the water by Tommaso
“I played this video a few moments after I took the last bite. “I wanted to say goodbye, I never thought I would survive this monster,” Mariotti wrote in the hours after the attack.
“I lost so much blood and my leg – I don't know if they cut it off completely or if it's left in half, but that doesn't matter now.”
“You are my heroes, you give me the strength to keep going with your texts and calls, my only dream is to see you again.” “I'm sorry if I can't answer you, but I'm very tired and have a headache .”
Then, in a playful but touching message to his rescuer, he wrote: “I owe you my life.” (Tommaso called me an idiot for not having the Australian insurance medicine. Luckily, I had another one made in Italy before I left .)”
The breed of shark that attacked the student is not yet known.
Matteo Mariotti, an Italian student from Parma, was attacked by the creature on a remote beach about 80 miles north of Bundaberg last Friday
Paramedics were called to 1770 Beach around 4pm on Friday following reports of an injured swimmer
Mariotti had been in Australia since November 2022 to study marine biology.
In addition to his rescuer Tommaso, he attributes his miraculous survival to his late grandfather, who died just a day before the shark encounter.
The young student, who temporarily interrupted his studies to seek solace on the beach amid his grief, credits his grandfather's spirit for guiding him through the dangerous situation.
But Mariotti now faces a difficult road to recovery as he has undergone several surgeries and further procedures are planned following the amputation to improve his chances of rehabilitation.