A computer consultant who wrestled a 12ft great white shark away from a teenage snorkeler has spoken of the dramatic rescue as he was given one of Australia's top bravery awards.
Trevor Burns, 50, was on holiday with his family when they went looking for dolphins as part of a group of about 40 off the southwest coast.
The swimmers were being led by 19-year-old Elyse Frankcom, who was having difficulty attracting a baby dolphin and its mother closer to the swimmers.
Mr Burns said: "(The dolphins) were obviously aware of the shark, and we weren't."
The shark suddenly clamped Ms Frankcom's thigh in its jaws, taking a "double bite" according Mr Burns.
The pair were only a few feet apart but he soon lost sight of her because of the blood in the water.
"I just thought, 'Get it off her'," the father of two said.
"I knew she was going to be in trouble and she needed help."
The shark took a 'double bite' of the guide leader (file picture) After he grabbed the shark's tail, the animal thrashed around before finally releasing its grip on Ms Frankcom and swimming off.
She was sinking until Mr Burns swam down to her and brought her back to the dive boat. Others in the group had already swum to safety.
Ms Frankcom needed surgery and more than 200 stitches to her leg wounds after the attack in 2010, but she has now largely recovered and remains in contact with her rescuer.
Mr Burns, from Brisbane, was the only person to receive Australia's Star of Courage "for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril" in the latest annual announcement on Monday.
Ms Frankcom told the Brisbane Times: "He put his own life at risk for a stranger. He saved my life. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be alive today."
Mr Burns said he hoped he would be able to repeat his actions if such an attack ever happened again.
"I'd like to think I would. I'm reasonably confident I would," he said.
"But it's purely on the day - it's a decision you've got to make and you either go for it or you don't."
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