'Like a hot knife through butter': Spearfisher recounts horror shark attack that nearly cost his arm

'I do recall the teeth just sinking into my arm and it was like a hot knife through butter,' Robbie Peck said

UPDATED OCT 24, 2022

Robbie Peck was attacked by a bull shark but his quick reflexed helped him survive the attack (7News/ Representational image, Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

PORT HEDLAND, AUSTRALIA: A spearfisher has recounted how he was attacked by a bull shark on the Pilbara coast in Western Australia, leaving his arm hanging off. Robbie Peck was left fighting for his life as the "wall of teeth sank into his arm like butter".

According to The Sun, the dad-of-three was out on his boat for a final time before he sold it. On October 7, he was accompanied by his brother-in-law Clive, his friend Ben, and his four-year-old son. Robbie, an experienced spearfisher, dived in hoping to catch one last fish when the predator struck.

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While speaking to 7News, Robbie said, "I remember just turning around looking over my left should and all I see is just a giant mouth wide open, a wall of teeth coming at me full charge." While he did not remember precisely what happened next, Robbie believes he tried to fend off the predator using his arm when his left hand "ended up down the shark’s throat".

He said, "I do recall the teeth just sinking into my arm and it was like a hot knife through butter," he said. "You know when a dog is playing with a toy how they shake their head? That’s what the shark was doing."

Robbie realized he had to act fast while being 42 feet underwater. He said, "All I could do was just yell at it ... that actually gave the shark a bit of a fright ... and I believe forced him to let go," adding, "I put my right hand on my arm. I’ll never forget that feeling of my hand just sinking into my flesh ... I knew I was in a very serious situation."

Survival instinct kicked in as Robbie thought, "I’ve got a lot to live for", and made his way back to the surface. After which, his two friends managed to rescue him from the water; they used weight belt as a tourniquet and a spear gun as a splint to keep his arm intact as they reached the shore.

'Thought of my son'

Robbie said he was only thinking of his son at the time of the tragedy, "I kept thinking I don’t wanna die here in front of my four-year-old son, I can’t put him through that. I was determined not to and I needed to survive for my family."

Emergency services reached the group at Richardson's Boat Ramp near Port Hedland. Robbie was then taken to Royal Perth Hospital, spending two weeks and undergoing several surgeries.

Robbie's wife Emily recalled the time she was told about her husband's near-death experience. She told 7News, "Just that sinking feeling in your gut and I swear all of the blood just drained from my face. It’s not a phone call you ever want to get. You expect the worse straight away when you hear shark attack." Emily added, "It was his last trip on the boat, last fish of the day and it happened."

Robbie has had many encounters with sharks in the past but he says he will remember this one. He said, "It was pretty life-changing … I’d already kissed my arm goodbye, to be honest." Robbie added, "It was even touch and go there about surviving so anything over and above that is a bonus and it’ll probably be that way for the rest of my life."