MELBOURNE, Australia: An Australian surfer who lost his right leg in a shark attack described how he fought back and believed the animal ‘winked' at him as it attacked. 

Mel Ismail, a professional firefighter and surfer, was attacked on September 14 at Glenfield Beach near Geraldton on Australia's west coast. In his first public account of the incident, he shared details of the frightening encounter in an interview broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) this week.

Ismail was resting in the water when he spotted about 20 dolphins. Moments later, something struck him.

He initially thought a dolphin had hit him, but soon realized that a shark had grabbed him and dragged him underwater.

During the struggle, Ismail tried to push his fingers into the shark's eye to make it release him. He said the animal appeared to wink at him before biting his leg.

"I saw its eye … a big black eye," Ismail said. "But it was winking back at me — I was trying to get my fingers in its eye and just pushing its eye as I was being dragged."

Authorities have not yet identified the species responsible for the attack.

Some sharks, including great white and mako sharks, do not have eyelids like humans. When attacking prey, they can roll their eyes backward into their sockets as a protective measure, exposing a tough layer of tissue.

After the shark swam away, Ismail found himself alone and bleeding near the back of the surf break. Despite his injuries, he managed to catch a wave that carried him about 20 meters closer to shore.

He was running out of breath and losing strength when he spotted fellow surfer Shannan Dunn coming down the sand dunes towards the beach.

Dunn rushed to help and assisted Ismail onto his surfboard.

Surfers and bystanders help save his life

Ismail recalled that Dunn appeared shocked by the situation. Once they reached the beach, bystanders quickly worked to stop the bleeding.

One person made a tourniquet using a leg rope, while another called an ambulance. Two teenagers then helped Ismail into Dunn's sports utility vehicle (SUV).

The group drove along the beach to meet the ambulance.

Ismail said the people around him helped keep him calm and positive as he struggled with his injuries. Their support gave him hope that he would survive.

He later said he began to feel he would make it through the ordeal.

Ismail's attack came just four days before 63-year-old swimmer Greg O'Neill was killed by a large great white shark off Sorrento Beach in Perth's northern suburbs.

Sorrento is about 400 kilometers south of Geraldton.

Despite losing his right leg below the knee, Ismail has said he intends to return to the water as a bodyboarder.