A man had to forcibly remove a shark from his stomach with a knife after it latched onto him while he was swimming off the coast of Marthon, Florida.

Shocking video shows Ervin Maccarty emerging from the water into a boat with a small shark attached to his body that won't let go.

He is heard swearing and the shark begins to struggle, sending Mr Maccarty down on the ground in pain.

His friends immediately come to his assistance, deciding to cut into the shark with a knife and 'bleed it out' until it lets go.

Blood spurts everywhere as they stab the shark and try to get it to let go over Mr Maccarty.

Mr Maccarty, who is fine, was out in the water retrieving lobsters earlier this month when the incident occurred.

Ervin Maccarty emerges from the water with a small shark attached to his stomach. It really doesn't want to let go

His friends on the boat are heard making jokes and trying to make him laugh while he lies in pain, trying to get the shark off his stomach

Mr Maccarty's friends decide to stab the fish so that it 'bleeds out' and lets go of his stomach

It takes a few stabbings before the fish begins to loosen its grip. Blood is everywhere

He said: 'I struggled to get back to the boat. It [the shark] hit me hard. It knocked the breath out of me so I had to get up for air but I felt the shark biting and trying to tear me open. I thought I would drown.'

He added: 'I had to get to the boat with no hands to swim with. It was a struggle and it wore me out. I eventually got there. The video tells the rest.'

In the video the shark eventually lets go of Mr Maccarty, its guts spilling into the boat.

The shark finally lets go of Mr Maccarty's stomach but manages to get a second bite in by grabbing at his side. The shark eventually loses all strength and can't hold on any longer