Surfer survives shark attack by bashing its head until it let go of his leg

Thirty-one-year-old Surfer Jared Trainor survived a shark attack at Centerville Beach in California on October 2. He suffered extensive wounds on his leg the length of the shark's mouth- 19 inches.

Trainor is an experienced surfer and knew the risks of "Sharktober" in Northern California as it is the time when adult sharks return to the west coast. "It did seem like there might be a little more seals than normal. They were hanging out in the whitewash, which is pretty common for them anyways," he said.

He recounted that as he was paddling his board to a spot where he saw waves breaking, he was surprised by a sudden shark attack and was pulled underwater. He describes what happened as being bitten "coffin style," by the shark. He said that "its lower jaws had the board and its upper jaws had my leg."

According to a report by the Washington Post, Trainor said he fought back by holding onto the shark's body with one hand and kicking its head with his free leg until it let him go.

When he had safely swam to shore, he borrowed a fellow surfer's cell phone to call for help. Following the brutal attack, photos of Trainor smiling in a hospital bed were posted to Instagram. A photo of his surfboard with the shark's bite marks was also included in the post.

"I'm grateful to be alive and I love surfing so much that I'm hoping this brings a newfound appreciation," shared Trainor in an interview with the Times-Standard.

To help pay for his medical bills, a GoFundMe page has been set up by his sister. She shared that they "could use all the help they can get" as Trainor has a "long recovery" ahead after being bitten by a great white shark while surfing alone.

As of writing, 33 people have donated and the fundraiser has raised $13,868 USD.