Jackson Bartlett, 10, recounts nightmare shark attack in Western Australia

A 10-year-old boy has opened up about the moment he thought he ‘was going to die’ after a terrifying shark attack in Western Australia.

A defiant 10-year-old boy has vowed to get back in the ocean after surviving a terrifying shark attack in Western Australia.

Jackson Bartlett was snorkelling with his father 75m from shore at Five Finger Reef, near Coral Bay, on Friday when a 2m bronze whaler shark bit his foot twice, slicing it from his ankle to his toes.

“I was bleeding. At the moment, I thought I was going to die because it was really scary,” he said.

Ambulance officers transported Jackson to Coral Bay nursing post before the Royal Flying Doctor Service transported him to Perth.

The beach at Five Finger Reef was closed for 24 hours after the attack.

Jackson was bitten twice on the foot by a bronze whaler shark. Picture: Supplied ABC

Speaking from his hospital bed, Jackson described his terrifying ordeal.

“I was just snorkelling with my dad and then I saw this shadow,” he said.

“We did the snorkelling with the whale sharks a few days before, and I thought, since I saw a dugong snorkelling with the whale sharks, I thought it might have been a dugong at first.

“But then it came closer and got faster and faster.

“And then I thought it might have been a reefy (reef shark), but then it tried to bite me.”

Jackson said the shark initially failed in its first attempt to bite but returned to attack his leg.

“It bit my flipper off and then bit me again and bit my other flipper off and got my leg,” he said.

“I called out to Dad and said ‘shark’ and he was looking at it, and then I showed him my big sore.

“Lucky there were some doctors on the beach. They jumped in, swam out and brought me in (to shore).”

Jackson Bartlett, 10, in Perth Children’s Hospital. Picture: Simon Santi/ The West Australian

A bronze whaler shark is suspected to have bitten Jackson.

Jackson, who was on holidays in WA with his family from Sydney, said he was looking forward to seeing his friends. He also said the attack would not keep him out of the ocean.

“I’m probably going to fly back home for a bit and have a rest at my nan’s house,” he said of his next move.

“(Then) go meet up with all my friends and say hi, and tell them my story.

“I reckon I‘ll start (swimming again) from deep pools and go in the shallow water at the beaches … and then go back surfing.

“I just love the ocean; I still like sharks but I just don't want to swim too close to big ones like that.”

Originally published as Jackson Bartlett, 10, recounts nightmare shark attack in Western Australia