Houston model bitten by shark while swimming in the Bahamas

But while Ms Zarutskie floated with the beasts swimming her around her, one of the sharks latched onto her arm and dragged her underwater.

Katarina Zarutskie was holidaying in the Bahamas, with her boyfriend and his family last month when she made a decision to go swimming with nurse sharks in the marina, NBC reports. She was floating as seemingly-docile sharks surrounded her.

The 19-year-old said the swim with the sharks wasn't organised by a tour company, and while her boyfriend's family were "freaking out" over the idea, she reassured them it was fine because she regularly surfs in California.

Zarutskie told NBC that she was pulled under briefly when the reportedly five-foot shark chose to take a chomp on her arm then she "ripped [her] wrist out of the shark's mouth as fast as I could". She was bitten on the wrist, and in true model fashion, she took pictures of the wound.

As soon as Zarutskie freed herself from the 5-foot shark, she raised her bleeding arm and walked over the other sharks and out of the water.

"He had my wrist in his mouth and I could feel his teeth sinking into my arm", Zarutskie told NBC News on Monday. "I leaned back, and then that shark he came and he bit down on my arm and pulled me under", she said. But after doing some research and learning of the high risk of infection following a shark bite, Zarutskie chose to fly back to Florida the next day for further treatment.

Zarutskie knows it could have been worse. But, she added, "I am so fortunate that I still have my arm and my life".

Zarutskie did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It seems like every time you pose for a photo for your Instagram, you're always getting attacked by sharks, right? It clamped on it and it felt like it was shredding off the bone.

Brunning tried to continue her vacation after receiving treatment, but a serious infection required her to return to Perth for surgery.