A lucky Australian swimmer managed to survive a shark attack by punching and poking the beast in the eyes, as it dragged him through the water after badly savaging his left leg, Reuters reports.

Jason Cull was swimming off a beach on Australia’s southwest coast on Sunday when the 12 feet shark attacked. “Initially I thought it was a dolphin,” Cull told The Australian newspaper on Monday. “I just remember being dragged along backwards. I was trying to feel its gills but I found its eye and I stuck my finger in and that's when it let go,” he added.

When Cull reached the surface, he shouted a warning to other swimmers and started swimming backstroke towards the shore as the shark circled him. “Eventually it took more of an interest in two other swimmers and swam towards them,” he explained.

Cull, a 37-year-old teacher, was helped to shore by 50-year-old Joanne Lucas, a volunteer at the local surf club. “Thankfully she took me into shore,” he said, quoted by the Telegraph.co.uk. “I don’t think I would have made it the rest of the way by myself.”

Cull suffered some serious bite injuries and he was given aid and oxygen on the beach, before being airlifted to hospital where he underwent surgery.

According to the U.S.-based International Shark Attack File, nearly 42% of attacks involve surfers or windsurfers. Australia had 12 sharks attacks last year, none of them fatal.