NEED TO KNOW

• Luke Kuhn, 69, survived his third great white shark encounter while diving for lobster off South Australia’s Limestone Coast

• Kuhn freed his foot from the shark’s mouth and swam to safety with the help of his diving partner

• The experienced diver, nicknamed "Lucky Luke," said news of his escape quickly spread worldwide among friends and family

An avid fisherman has survived a great white shark attack in South Australia.

On Wednesday, March 25, 69-year-old Luke Kuhn and his diving partner Daniel Field were diving for lobster at Cape Jaffa on the Limestone Coast when the incident occurred, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Shark Watch SA.

However, after diving around 39 feet into the ocean, Kuhn began to feel a sudden pull, per ABC. He told the outlet that "all hell broke loose."

"I was reaching under a shelf for a cray, then all of a sudden I'm getting dragged backwards along the ocean floor by something powerful, very powerful," he said. "The shark had my fin. He was pulling, I was pulling.”

While the moment marked Kuhn’s third encounter with a great white shark, he said this was his closest encounter to date, according to Shark Watch SA.

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The lobster fisherman shared details of his harrowing encounter with ABC, revealing, “I looked over my shoulder, and my left foot was in his mouth. I was right next to his head."

Kuhn, who has completed over 3000 dives, per Shark Watch SA, was able to pull his foot out of the fin before swimming back to his spot.

"I was in a bit of shock trying to work out what happened, but made my way to the top and just yelled to my mate to come get me," he said. "He was at my side within seconds, and said my face was pure white."

Speaking about how fast news of his shark encounter spread, Kuhn said, “Within hours, my cousin in Switzerland is calling me. The story has gone everywhere, and all my mates who call me 'Lucky Luke' now have a new reason to do so."

Read the original article on People