‘‘He had hold of my leg at that point, he stuck his teeth in down near the knee.

‘‘While he was chewing on me I managed to get back on the surfboard and started screaming.

‘‘The only thing I thought about was the kids and when I turned around to see where he was there was just a blood trail of 20 feet and he was following.

‘‘He was a dark shadow at the end of the blood trail, so he was coming to have a second go.’’

Mr Tidey, who was in the water with Mr Folkard at the time of the attack, visited his mate in John Hunter Hospital yesterday.

He said his friend was shocked to have received so many visitors.

‘‘He told me he thinks he might be a bit nasty in the surf, like he doesn’t talk to people enough,’’ he said.

‘‘So he was surprised to get so many messages and wellwishers coming into the hospital to visit him.

‘‘He said ‘I might be a bit nicer when I’m in the surf now that I realise how many people care about me’.’’

Friends and customers of Mr Folkard’s business, Downunder Tattoo on the Pacific Highway at Charlestown, took to Facebook yesterday to wish him all the best in his recovery.

‘‘Get well soon mate! Thinking of u xx’’, wrote Lauren Mouat.

‘‘Have a quick recovery mate all the best to you and your family,’’ added Tim Harcourt.

One friend assured his many clients that Mr Folkard, a talented tattooist who has inked several Newcastle Knights players and fellow surfers, would be able to continue his trade once his wounds healed.

‘‘His hands are fine, knowing [him] he will have a tattoo machine set in the hospital ward.’’

Mr Tidey described Mr Folkard as a ‘‘quiet bloke’’ who ‘‘keeps to himself in the surf’’.

‘‘He has come down here for years,’’ Mr Tidey said.

‘‘He either goes to Redhead or Dudley depending if it’s off-shore or not.

‘‘I surf with him all the time and he doesn’t really complain too much, he just sort of does his own thing.’’

Mr Tidey said it was indicative of Mr Folkard’s style that he was floating about 15metres or so from the rest of the group behind shark-tower rock on Wednesday afternoon, catching right-handers onto Little Beach while the rest of the group headed left.

The shark, believed to be about two metres long and either a juvenile great white or a bull shark, struck about 4.40pm. It took a bite out of his upper thigh and his best surfboard before dragging him under the water.

Bleeding heavily, Mr Folkard managed to struggle free and raise the alarm before clambering onto his board as the shark began circling.

Mr Visscher has been credited as one surfer who came to his aid and Mr Tidey said he saw his friend ‘‘make a beeline’’ towards a disoriented Mr Folkard while the shark was still circling.

Lake Macquarie council’s beach lifeguard team leader, Paul Stone, praised Mr Visscher for his selflessness.

Several beachgoers suggested the Redhead regular should be presented with a bravery award for his efforts. Mr Folkard was in a stable condition in John Hunter Hospital last night and is soon expected to have surgery.