Sebastian Achim only wanted to tag a blue shark and return it to the sea.
He was aboard a small fishing boat off Ardmore, in County Waterford, Ireland, along with four companions who had done this before without any problems. They removed the hook from the animal, Achim moved half a meter away from its tail, and then the shark jumped and bit him in the calf. He made a tourniquet with a rope, called for help over the radio, and ten minutes later lost consciousness. He thought he would not make it.
An Irish Coast Guard helicopter rushed him to Cork University Hospital, where surgeons managed to save his leg, although he will need skin grafts because of the lost tissue. When he woke up, he did not speak of fear or resentment: he said that the fish had acted on instinct for survival and that, deep down, it was right to defend itself. 👀