A SURFER has survived a savage shark attack before driving himself to hospital, despite serious injuries.
The chaos unfolded at a popular Australian surf spot on Tuesday afternoon, when the surfer got in the way of a shark chasing a seal.
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The Bronze Whaler was chasing lunch when the seal used the wave rider as a decoy to escape certain death.
The man, in his 50s, was surfing at D’Estrees Bay on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, when the shark took two bites out of his leg.
The attack happened around 1pm at a surf spot known as “The Sewer”.
The unidentified victim sustained serious injuries, however managed to get himself to the shore and drive himself to the hospital.
Surfer reported the man had undergone surgery to his leg.
His wounds, although serious, have not been reported as life-threatening.
The extent of the damage to his leg remains unknown.
According to Shark Watch Australiathe attack was a case of mistaken identity.
“A Bronze Whaler was chasing a seal around the bay when the seal used the surfer as a decoy,” a spokesperson said.
“The victim was bitten twice by the shark.”
Bronze Whaler sharks, although lesser known than Great Whites, have been known to attack humans.
International Shark Attack File said: “The bronze whaler shark has been implicated in fifteen attacks since 1962”.
“One [attack] resulted in a fatality.
“It is considered potentially dangerous to humans.”
Bronze Whaler sharks can grow to a maximum weight of 300kg and up to 3.3m in length.
The ordeal comes alongside other recent shark attacks in South Australia.
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Over the last two years, there have been four fatal shark attacks in the state, as well as some non-fatal incidents.
One such death was the heartbreaking attack on Lance Appleby, who was ambushed by a Great White while surfing at Granites Beach on the Eyre Peninsula at the beginning of the year.
His body has never been found.
He was 28 years old when he was vanished in the water.
The desperate search for his body was called off after his shredded surfboard was found.
Jeff Schumucker, a family friend of the victim who saw the ordeal as it unfolded, gave a harrowing account of the surfer’s final moments.
He told 7NEWS: “He caught a wave and flipped off the wave and proceeded to paddle back, and he was attacked.”
Schumucker said he saw the mangled board along with a ruined set of ropes as it was brought back to shore.
“The board had a bite mark in the bottom and the rope was severed in half,” he said.
“It just hits everyone so hard, particularly the locals.”
Appleby had come home to the Eyre Peninsula to spend Christmas with his family, locals added.