A teenager was attacked by a great white shark but survived.

A 13-year-old schoolgirl named Zoe Steyn was booted into the Indian Ocean when she was surfing in South Africa after a 10 foot sea predator clamped onto her surfboard and catapulted her into the sea just missing her leg, the Mirror Online has reported.

Speaking about her near death experience, the youngster said: ''I just saw this huge black eye looking straight at me and a huge bang as it took my board and began shaking it.

''It latched on with its jaws just missing my leg and it tipped me backwards and I fell in and I just saw the black shape of it in the water and panicked.

''I heard another surfer screaming at me to get back on my board and I pulled myself onto it but was terrified of where the shark was and what to do.''

Zoe made it to the shore unharmed after being aided by fellow surfer and photographer JP Veaudry, and she was ''relieved'' to make it to safety.

She explained: ''I have never been so relieved to get on a beach in my life and JP told me I was very lucky. They reckon it was at least ten feet long, maybe bigger.

''It was the first time I have ever seen a shark in three years of surfing and my memory of it is this big black eye looking straight at me - I was so, so scared.''

And just one day after the ordeal Zoe took to the waves again, although she has vowed never to surf solo in the future.

She said: ''I can't thank JP enough for risking his life to paddle out and save me and get back to shore. It has taught me never to surf alone ever again.''