Hawaii spear fisherman Braxton Rocha said he fought off a large tiger shark when it attacked him Monday by hitting it in the nose.
The shark attacked him along a remote coastline off the Big Island while the 27-year-old was spearfishing about 60 yards offshore.
"She was jaws wide open, right in front of my face," Rocha said.
Rocha recalled how he first grabbed the shark's nose to try to control it, but it was too powerful and instead latched onto his leg.
"Once she locked on my leg ... I cocked back, I punched her in the nose," he said. "She let go and she swam away."
He posted a video to Instagram after his attack, revealing a bloody hole in his leg.
Rocha said his first instinct was to call his mom, but when she didn't pick up, he decided to post the video to let his friends and family know what happened.
In an edited version of the video that Rocha posted online after the original was removed from Instagram, Rocha says, "I just got attacked by a tiger shark!"
He then turns to his friend, Shannon Pasco, who had wrapped a tourniquet around his thigh and driven him to where they could meet an ambulance.
"Love you, brah," Pasco says.
"Love you too, brah," Rocha replies before the video ends.
Rocha added a picture to Instagram — after the initial video was removed — that shows where the shark attacked "right above my knee cap and back of calf."
Rocha was flown to a hospital where he underwent surgery for three hours. His wounds required about 100 staples, but doctors said he should eventually make a full recovery.
He posted after the attack, thanking everyone for their prayers, and said "no matter what, I'll always love sharks and have so much respect for the top predator in the ocean." He also happily responded to all the haters:
Throughout it all, he kept a good sense of humor about the whole thing, posting a cartoon by Drew Toonz:
Watch the full video here, if you dare:
View this video on YouTube
Rocha and his family set up a Go Fund Me page to help with medical expenses, since he does not have health insurance. Rocha is still in the hospital and will have to undergo rehabilitation and therapy after he is released.