Michele Bootes isn't letting a shark attack keep her down for very long.
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On Monday, the keen swimmer and coordinator of the Far South Coast Surf Life Saving Club's Same Wave program for people with disability was helping renovate her son's unit.
This was just two days after being struck in the back by a shark at a beach on the NSW Far South Coast, which left teeth marks across her shoulder, lower back and hip.
"I was really lucky. I got out of it okay," Ms Bootes told ACM Monday morning.
Around 6.45am on Saturday, March 13, NSW Ambulance were called to Merimbula's Main Beach after reports a woman had been struck in the back and had puncture wounds to her back and hip.
"There was initially some uncertainty if it was a shark, bystanders on scene reported seeing fins and a large animal," NSW Ambulance Inspector Robert Whitney said.
"It was pretty clear that it had been a shark attack as paramedics arrived on scene.
"What we could see is that the patient suffered multiple wounds in what would have been a terrifying event, paramedics did a fantastic job in treating the patient down at the beach before transporting to hospital."
Beaches from Wallagoot Lake south to Pambula were closed for 24 hours after the incident while Surf Life Saving drones and the Westpac Lifesaver helicopter, along with Department of Primary Industries, conducted surveillance of the waters.
"I normally swim there every morning. But knowing that time of the morning has risks involved we were incredibly close to shore. We were only in waist-deep water," Ms Bootes said.
"It hit me from behind, I didn't see it at all."
The Dorsal app reported sightings of both a tagged bull shark at Merimbula Main Beach around 4.46am and an unknown species at 8.05am.
DPI experts are investigating and are yet to advise on the type and size of the shark involved.
Ms Bootes said she shrieked with the impact and while neither she nor her swimming partner saw a shark they both figured that's what it must've been and high-tailed it for the beach.
Ms Bootes said she then walked across the oval to Cranky's Cafe "to lie down and wait for an ambulance" as it would be easier for paramedics to reach here there rather than on the beach.
She said paramedics did a great job, flushing out the wounds.
"There a high chance of infection with a shark bite to the bacteria in their mouths," she said.
"They said I could stay the night or head home to recuperate so I went home."
The incident won't be keeping her out of the water either.
"You're more likely to be hit by a bus than bitten by a shark - and statistically I've already been bitten once so what's the likelihood of it happening again!" she added with a chuckle.
One sour note - if the bite itself wasn't traumatic enough - was her son's Facebook account was hacked within 24 hours of the incident and a fake GoGetFunding page set up in his name calling for donations towards medical expenses.
"That's one sad thing - some people are so low."
However, Ms Bootes said she has otherwise had "phenomenal support" from friends and the community with numerous emails and texts to make sure she was okay.
"It hurts rolling over. But I've broken both arms before and had a knee replacement. This is nothing compared to that!"