Teenager mauled by 16ft great white shark that ‘ripped chunks out of his legs’ before being carried ONE MILE by desperate pal

A YOUTH was mauled by a 16ft great white shark that ripped chunks from his legs before his desperate mate carried him a mile to safety.

Luke Pascoe, 17, had been spearfishing off Goode Beach near Albany, Western Australia, on Monday when he was stuck between the jaws of death.

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He had harpooned a fish while submerged in 10m of water and was making his way to the surface in triumph when disaster struck.

The bloody aftermath of its killing caught the attention of a large white lurking in the depths before quickly making its way to Luke.

Hoping to snag the teenager’s catch, the underwater creature tried to eat the fish – but ended up biting his leg instead.

As a terrified Luke bled into the water from his multiple wounds, his quick-thinking friend leaped into action.

Luke said he “owes his life” to his pal Conner Shirley, who made a makeshift tourniquet out of his dive belt to stop the bleeding.

The accomplished spearfisherman used his knowledge of first aid to aid Luke before hauling him on his back and carrying him a mile across the rocky terrain.

Conner said the teenager’s leg then started bleeding profusely as he pulled him out of the water.

Luke told ABC: “Conner was the one who helped me up the rocks and he piggybacked me 2km along the rocks back to the car and drove me to the hospital.

“I owe him my life. I lay in bed last night thinking how lucky I am to still be here.”

Among his injuries, Luke suffered three deep lacerations on his lower legs.

The 17-year-old is still recovering at the Albany Health Campus and admits he was “a little sore” but in good spirits.

He said he barely felt the ferocity of the shark bite during the incident when he went into shock.

But despite his harrowing encounter underwater with a great white, Luke insisted the accident was “more my fault than the shark’s.”

The avid spearfisher has refused to let anyone stop him from getting in the water and plans to dive back in once he’s fit enough.

There have been nine non-fatal shark attacks in Australia since the beginning of the year.

As of August 9, according to Tracking Sharks, 57 attacks have been reported worldwide in 2022.

Experts have warned that the number of attacks will increase thanks to environmental initiatives to protect seals – a key part of sharks’ diets.