'I thought I'm not going to make it': Man bitten by shark facing surgery in Cork 

"I cannot say if it's a deliberate attack ... the fish was in his survival instinct." 

Sebastian Achim was fishing with three other people, who were "experienced fishermen" at around 12pm some four miles south of Ram Head. 

A 27-year-old man who is recovering in hospital after being bitten by a shark while fishing off Ardmore in Co Waterford said he did not know if he was going to make it following the attack on Tuesday. 

Sebastian Achim was fishing with three other people, who were "experienced fishermen" some four miles south of Ram Head. 

He had been angling for a blue shark, and said he had never fished for blue sharks before. Blue sharks are a narrow-bodied species that can grow to up to 12ft in length, although they are typically between 6ft and 8ft.

They live in deeper, oceanic waters where they hunt tuna and are common in Irish waters, he said.

Shark Attack Waterford. Photo: Facebook

After catching a shark and pulling it into the boat, they were planning to release it. Mr Achim said it "jumped and just grabbed onto my cast." 

"I cannot say if it's a deliberate attack or it's not a deliberate attack," Mr Achim told RTÉ's Morning Ireland on Thursday. 

"The fish was in his survival instinct, and we just threw him back in the water; we did not manage to tag him." 

"We just didn't want the fish to be more panicked than that, and myself, I just got injured, and we just focused on that. 

"The moment of the bite, we didn't realise what actually happened. I saw my leg just started bleeding properly, and I just stayed calm because there was no reason to panic," Mr Achim added. 

He took a rope and tied it above his wounds before the other men on the boat called emergency services as they knew it was a serious injury. 

"Ten minutes after that, I was still trying somehow to stop my bleeding, and I just passed out. I was just bleeding so much constantly. Even after applying the Garo, I thought I'm not going to make it. 

"But then I woke up again. I had passed out from the blood loss, and when I woke up, the helicopter was above the boat and was making everything wet. 

"I could not stand, and every time I would try to stand, I would pass out, and even on the videos, when they lift me up, I was just passed out," Mr Achim added. 

He said he was "very lucky" to get back to the hospital and did not think he would have made it because he had lost "too much blood." 

"I was in shock, and I didn't feel pain until I got to the hospital and realised the gravity of the situation. My adrenaline rush washed off," Mr Achim said. 

The 27-year-old said he will need surgery now and doctors will need to rebuild as he is missing tissue from the attack.