Shark attack survivor FILMS immediate bloody aftermath of bite off Australia that has cost him his leg: ‘I wanted to say goodbye. I never thought I would survive’

A swimmer who lost his leg in a shark attack off the Queensland coast has shared his harrowing story and horrific footage of the incident that changed his life.

Heartbreaking footage shows the moments after Matteo Mariotti, 20, an Italian student from Parma, was attacked by the creature last Friday on a remote 1770 beach, about 130 km (80 miles) north of Bundaberg.

The shark slammed into his leg as he swam, tearing it apart, and in the video an eerie crimson cloud can be seen surrounding Mariotti as he screamed and made his way back to the surface.

He was only able to escape after his friend and diving instructor Tommaso Agosti quickly pulled him to shore and tried to calm Mariotti’s breathing while stopping the bleeding as help arrived.

Mariotti was rushed to hospital for surgery, but 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, expressed his gratitude to his friends, family and followers after taking him to the brink of certain death.

Tommaso is seen grabbing Mariotti by the arm and dragging him towards the shore as a cloud of crimson blood surrounds him.

Heartbreaking video shows pieces of Mariotti’s leg dangling

Matteo Mariotti – 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 the shoreline.

Mariotti’s leg is visible in bloody shreds just seconds after the attack

Mariotti lies on the shore writhing in pain after being pulled from the water by Tommaso.

“I turned on this video moments after the last bite. I wanted to say goodbye, I never thought I would survive this monster,” Mariotti wrote 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 leave it in half, but it doesn’t matter right now.

“You are my heroes, you give me strength to continue writing and calling you, my only dream is to see you again. 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 savior, he wrote: “I owe you my life. (Tommaso called me an idiot because I didn’t have an Australian insurance drug, luckily 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 attacked by the creature last Friday on a remote beach about 80 miles north of Bundaberg.

Ambulance paramedics were called to 1770 Beach around 4pm on Friday following reports of an injured swimmer.

Mariotti has been in Australia since November 2022 to continue research in marine biology.

Besides his savior Tommaso, he credits his miraculous survival to his late grandfather, who passed away just a day before his encounter with the shark.

A young student who took a temporary break from his studies to find solace on the beach amid his grief thanks the spirit of his grandfather for helping him overcome a dangerous situation.

But Mariotti now faces a difficult road to recovery: He has undergone several operations and, following the amputation, additional procedures are planned to improve his chances of rehabilitation.