I fought an 8ft shark by stabbing it in the gills while snorkeling off Paradise Island – now I’m making jewelry from the teeth left in my arm

A man who fought an 8ft shark by stabbing it in the gills has revealed he turned the teeth left in his arm from the attack into jewelry.

Angus Kockott, 20, from East London, South Africa, was snorkeling in shallow water off Mangareva Island, French Polynesia, when he was attacked on May 23.

Out of nowhere, a suspected gray reef shark approached him from behind a reef – and clung to his arm with its jaws.

Luckily, a quick-thinking Angus managed to pull a 4-inch blade – used for cutting diving lines – from his pocket to stab the shark in the gills before it swam to safety.

A military aircraft was called to fly him to the nearest hospital, where he underwent a life-saving six-hour operation.

Angus takes a selfie while swimming before the attack in Mangareva, French Polynesia

Pictured: The silhouette of a gray reef shark is seen against rays of light at Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia

The reef shark’s sharp teeth severed two of the main nerves in Angus’ arm as well as several tendons.

He had skin and nerve grafts – and several teeth and tooth fragments were removed from the injured limb.

While he is still undergoing physiotherapy and nerve treatments, Angus said that hasn’t stopped him from getting back in the water.

He described the attack as a “defining experience” in his life – and he even has earrings made from the teeth that were pulled from his arm.

Angus said: “When the shark bit I didn’t have time to panic – you just have to act when you have so much adrenaline in situations like this.”

“At first I was in tremendous pain – I really thought I was going to lose my arm.”

“It’s healing well after my nerve and skin transplant, but I’m taking it day by day.”

“It was a formative experience in my life and that’s why I have the teeth made into earrings.”

“It hasn’t stopped me from being in the sea – I can’t wait until I can go back.”

A soundtracked 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 seizures thanks to a skin transplant he received, using skin from his left thigh, and a nerve transplant, which involved transplanting nerves 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 do some free diving when he was attacked.

He just 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 – that was a real ‘oh shit’ moment.”

“My first reaction was to use my line-cutting knife and focus on the shark as hard as I could.

“It was just a small knife, but I’m very glad I had it that day.”

“After it let go of my arm, I couldn’t see anything except a huge pool of blood around me, but I managed to stand up on a reef.”

“My arm was literally spurting blood – it looked like a stripped drumstick.”

Angus tied a pair of goggles around his arm to create a makeshift tourniquet.

His friend helped him get to safety in a nearby town, 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 the doctors took it [his] Arm apart and put back together again’.

After spending three weeks in Tahiti recovering from his injuries, he flew to South Africa for further treatment.

The nerves in his arm had been completely severed by the attack, meaning he could barely move or feel.

He had a skin graft with skin from his left thigh and a nerve graft with nerves grafted from the back of his heel.

Angus added: “If I hadn’t blocked the shark with my arm it could have hit my neck – my carotid artery was right there. “I would have been toast.

“Or if it had bitten me again, I would have been too injured to fight back or escape.”

“I think I would have died or drowned in the water.”

Angus is eager to get back in the water and continue his training for a sailing career.

“I assumed it was a territorial thing – you can’t blame the animal,” he said.