Swimmer survived shark attack after punching predator inside its mouth

A swimmer has revealed how he fought off a shark attack by punching the predator inside its mouth.

Caleb Adams, 46, suffered several nasty gashes to his hands and wrist as he ‘tussled’ with the animal in water off the coast of San Diego on June 2.

He was with 18 other members of an open-water swimming group when he was attacked during their Sunday session.

Mr Adams described how he had been swimming around 100 yards offshore when he felt ‘a strong hit on the side’ of his body.

Speaking to NBC News, he went on: ‘I knew I had been hit by a shark. I tussled with the animal for what was seconds.

‘The second time I struck the animal I felt a softer tissue. I am going to speculate that that was inside the shark’s mouth. And I had several cuts to my hand a wrist.’

Caleb Adams was attacked by the predator during his Sunday morning swim (Picture: NBC)

He suffered several nasty wounds to his torso (Picture: NBC)

Mr Adams also had cuts to his hand from ‘tussling’ with the animal (Picture: NBC)

Jenna Veal, who saw the horror unfold, said: ‘He punched it in the face. He punched it in the nose.

‘I do know he had a gash on his hand from the shark’s tooth.’

Mr Adams’s swimming partner, Kevin Barrett, heard his cries for help.

He told NBC that as he was bringing his friend to shore ‘the blood was just pouring out of his chest’.

‘We could really see the traumatic extent of his injuries and it was not pretty,’ he added.

He spent two days in hospital for bites to his left hand, left arms and torso (Picture: NBC)

A lifeguard held Mr Adams’s chin up when he was taken to the ambulance and told him not to look down at his wounds.

He spent two days in hospital for bites to his left hand, left arms and torso.

The stretch of beach where the attack happened was closed the day after.

Experts have said Del Mar beach has become a nursery for young great white sharks.

Researchers at California State University have identified around 60 in the area in the past four years.

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