Hassiem and his brother Taariq, 17, were in the water acting as patients while other lifeguards were in a nearby boat about 200 metres offshore.
Hassiem said he saw the shark’s fine slicing through the water towards his younger brother.
From his hospital bed Hassiem recounted the attack. The following excerpt was reported by IOL.
Source: IOL“It was going for my brother. I shouted: 'Taariq! Shark!' and then started splashing about in the water so that I would attract the shark to me.
"The shark turned around and came towards me. It grabbed my ankle and shook me, then pulled me under water. I thought the game was over. But as I went down, I told myself, 'No, you're not going to die now', and I started kicking it.
"It had my right leg and I kicked at its head with my left leg.
"I don't know how many times I kicked it, maybe four times. But I needed to get breath, I could feel I had already taken in seawater. And then it let go.
"As I came up I saw my brother's hand in the water and grabbed it.
"I looked back and saw the shark coming towards me for a second time, but the guys in the boat pulled me in before he got to me. They saved my life.
"I don't know how to describe what it was like."You don't feel pain. It had my leg in its mouth but I did not feel pain. It was just, I don't know, just this brute power, this massive brute force against me, against nothing.
"I want to go back [to being a lifeguard]. I'm being as brave as I can. But I struggle to sleep. Every time I close my eyes I see it all again, every detail."
