A COURAGEOUS mum of three has told how she tore at a Great White shark's eyes while being attacked as she swam in southern California.

Leeanne Ericson was with family and friends at San Onofre beach when she paddled out into the ocean where boyfriend Dusty Phillips was surfing.

9 Leeanne Ericson was with boyfriend Dusty Phillips when she was attacked Credit: abc bews

9 Dusty shows the bite mark taken out of his girlfriend's wet suit Credit: abc bews

9 Leanne was attacked by a 10ft Great White shark just yards from the shore Credit: Getty - Contributor

But as she swam near Dusty's board, she felt something bite her leg and pull her down.

"As soon as it grabbed my leg, I knew what it was," she told Surfline.

"I remember being pulled down and thinking about my kids. My brain shut off and went into fight or flight mode."

Dusty heard the screams behind him, but when he turned around his girlfriend had disappeared.

"As I was paddling, I heard the scream," he said.

"It was a piercing scream I’d never heard. And it disappeared, mid-scream. I turned around as quick as I could and there wasn’t even a ripple. Where the f*** did she go?"

9 The shark tore a large chunk out of her thigh Credit: abc bews

9 Leanne was airlifted to a nearby hospital Credit: abc bews

9 The beach was shut following two shark attacks Credit: AP:Associated Press

Leanne revealed she punched the shark as it dragged her under, and then started tearing out his eyes.

"I was trying to push the shark off of me. My hands moved down towards the eye and I started digging at it. I felt like I was digging at a cup of jello," she said.

After a frantic battle the shark finally let go - leaving Leanne with a large chunk missing from her thigh.

Dusty told ABC News that he was sure his girlfriend would not survive her life-and-death fight with the 10ft Great White.

"I thought that was it for her," he said.

9 Leanne spent nine weeks in the Intensive Care Unit Credit: abc bews

9 Dusty told ABC News that he was sure his girlfriend would die Credit: abc bews

9 The shark attack has devastated the mum's life Credit: Getty - Contributor

"She was a completely grey colour that looked like she was already dead."

Leanne was airlifted Ericson to the hospital where she was placed in a medically induced coma.

It originally looked like doctors would have to have amputate her leg, however they then decided to graft tissue from her other leg to replace what had been lost.

Leanne spent nine weeks in the Intensive Care Unit, undergoing eight surgeries.

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She reveals she still has no feeling in her injured leg, and has had to teach herself to walk again.

While she's making a remarkable recovery, Ericson says her months in the hospital have left her with "millions" in hospital bills.

Her injury has also caused her to go on disability, and to lose full-time custody of her four-year-old twins and her 11-year-old daughter.

A Go Fund Me page set up to raise money for her medical bills has raised more than £60,000.