A MAN who was mauled by a 50-stone shark has relived the "terrifying" moment his arm and leg were ripped off.
Paul de Gelder, 46, from Melbourne, Australia, was swimming in Sydney Harbour when he nearly died in a shark attack.
The former Navy clearance diver was doing a routine military exercise with the Australian Navy in February 2009.
Paul recounted how the bull shark's razor-sharp teeth shredded through his flesh in "one bite" ahead of Shark Week.
He told CNN: "I was swimming from point A to point B on the surface on my back and a 10 foot bull shark came up from underneath me.
"It grabbed me by the back of my right leg and my right hand, which was by my side, all in one bite."
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Paul recalled how he swam back to the rescue boat in a pool of his own blood while feeling his whole hamstring, most of his right leg, and all the nerves torn off by the shark.
"It took me under," he continued. "The pain and the terror. I thought I was going to die. It removed my hamstring and my hand.
"I had to swim back to my safety boat with one hand and leg through a pool of my own blood. I didn't think I was going to make it.
"I'm very, very lucky and blessed to still be here and breathing today."
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The Army vet and former paratrooper previously described how he attempted a counterattack on the "terrifyingly aggressive" apex predator with his left hand.
He said: "That's when it started to shake me like a rag doll.
"As its teeth worked through my flesh and bone like saws, I was overcome by the most intense pain imaginable."
Paul spent three months in rehabilitation, but miraculously returned to work for the Navy.
He wanted to return to his old job role as a diver but was instead given the opportunity to public-speak in 2012.
The double amputee is now a motivational speaker and has become an advocate for sharks.
"I see my role as speaking up for an animal that doesn't have a voice," Paul said.
"I figure if someone like me who has almost lost their life and two limbs to a shark can understand why they are so important and why they need to be saved, then maybe everyone else should be able to as well."
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