
A US man has told how he saved his dog from the jaws of a shark - by punching the creature until it let go.
Greg LeNoir and his rat terrier Jake were enjoying their daily swim at a Florida Keys marina when the attack happened.
A 5ft-long shark surfaced and sunk its teeth into the dog, almost swallowing it in the process.
The carpenter sprung into action, diving headfirst into the water and punching the beast until it finally let go of Jake.
The dog bobbed to the surface, and the pair swam back to the quayside, leaving a trail of blood behind them. The two-year-old rescue dog suffered puncture wounds and lacerations during his ordeal, but is now on the mend.
Mr LeNoir said: "I saw a big, dark green shape, which I realised was a big shark's head. It zoomed up from under Jake.
"Jake screamed - a death scream - and it sucked him under. I dove (sic) straight down like a battering ram, and I drove my fist under the water into the shark. And it pushed him down - it felt like concrete on my hand."
The 53-year-old admits he was terrified when he saw the shark, but was not worried about his own safety. His only thought was saving his pet.
He added: "Jake is such a big part of mine and my wife's life - we don't have children. This is what she considers the closest thing to a child. And I couldn't abandon him."

