A teenager who almost lost his arm after he was attacked by a two-metre reef shark off the Arnhem Land coast says he was just in "the wrong place at the wrong time", and won't be deterred from getting back in the water.

Key points: Sean Whitcombe is about to undergo his sixth surgery after being attacked

Sean Whitcombe is about to undergo his sixth surgery after being attacked The 17-year-old narrowly avoided having his arm amputated

The 17-year-old narrowly avoided having his arm amputated Despite the ordeal, he says he's keen to return to the water

WARNING: This story contains a graphic image.

Sean Whitcombe, 17, was spearfishing off Bromby Eyelet near Nhulunbuy when he said he was "mobbed" by seven sharks, with one ultimately latching onto his arm.

Sean Whitcombe spearfishing off the Arnhem Land coast just one day before he was attacked ( Supplied: Sean Whitcombe )

His reaction was to eye-gouge it and kick himself to the surface.

It was only then that he was able to yell out for help from friends in a boat nearby.

At the time, he didn't know it would be two hours before he was able to get medical attention.

"I was thinking I was going to die because I thought I was going to lose my arm, just everything was going through my mind at once," he said.

"The bite did hurt, but it got some of my nerves and stuff so it was pretty numb."

Mr Whitcombe has not left hospital since the attack three weeks ago.

He has undergone five surgeries and is preparing for his sixth in just two days — but it was a crucial initial surgery that saved him from having his arm amputated.

"When I got to Darwin on a CareFlight [helicopter] they went through some paperwork and there was a form saying that I might have to be amputated, but I was asleep," he said.

The 17-year-old suffered this injury to his leg, as well as to his arm — a wound too graphic to display. ( Supplied: Sean Whitcombe )

"When I woke up they said they saved my arm.

"They took a vein graft out of my leg and got the circulation back".

'I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time'

Mr Whitcombe moved from Darwin to Nhulunbuy two years ago and has recently returned to spearfishing.

He believes that he was attacked because he pulled a mackerel too close to his body while the sharks were in a frenzy around him.

It is common practice for spearfishermen to shoot their catch, which does not kill it immediately, before bringing in the fish and using a knife to immobilise it.

This technique is used to stop the fish sending distress signals which can cause sharks to frenzy.

And the larger the fish, the greater the distress signal.

When asked about his desire to keep fishing, Mr Whitcombe is cheery — as is his personality and attitude to his injury.

The avid fisher told emergency services he had been "mobbed" by seven sharks when he was attacked ( ABC News: Dijana Damjanovic )

"Yeah, of course... I'll try my hardest," he said.

"I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong stuff".