'I don’t think I would have made it': Shark attack victim praises rescue services

A man who was injured after he was bitten by a blue shark off the Waterford coast is recovering after undergoing surgery.

Sebastian Achim said he was tagging sharks for conservation purposes on board a small vessel about 32km south of Ardmore on Wednesday.

He suffered a deep bite to his leg after he landed a shark and it was being tagged.

Achim said he lost a significant amount of blood and had to be airlifted to Cork University Hospital, where he successfully underwent surgery.

"I passed out for an hour and a bit. I'm thankful to the emergency services," he said.

He was particularly thankful to the helicopter crew who got him quickly to hospital. "That was the biggest save because I don't think I would have made it.

"I know this sounds bad, but I want people to understand it was just an accident."