A normal Friday at Shelly Beach with her grandparents and family, “building sand

castles and swimming”, was interrupted when a one-metre wobbegong shark – a usually docile creature - latched onto her upper thigh.

Lulu had run into waist-deep water and was there for about five minutes before she stepped on something that felt “slimy, scaly and gross”.

“It very quickly went ‘chomp’ on my leg, and my reaction was to just pull it off my leg (with my hands),” Lulu told the Guardian. 

“Then it swam away.

“I was super shocked. I got the biggest fright – I was screaming ‘I got bitten by a fish’, before my family carried me out of the water, I was so confused.”

However the sheer amount of blood from the wound indicated otherwise.

“It bit me on my upper thigh,” she said. “Luckily the bite was on the skin layers, and not through the muscle … you can see three rows of teeth marks of the top and bottom of the jaws. 

“It hurt so much – like  knives in my leg … and still hurts now when I walk.”

All eyes were on Lulu as she was carried up the beach to her family’s car.

“My grandparents drove me back home, then my mum took me to straight Bellingen Hospital,” she said. “(It was there) Dr Lam confirmed it was a wobbegong shark bite.”

Lulu’s mum, Laura, said she couldn’t believe it happened; and was focused on getting her daughter straight to the hospital.

“Lulu was absolutely incredible,” Laura said. 

“Once she realised she was okay, she completely calmed down and showed so much strength and bravery. 

“She even smiled the whole time on the hospital bed.”

Despite being left shaken by the encounter, it has failed to deter the youngster and her family from getting back in the water.

“Just don’t be complacent. Life can change in an instant,” Laura said. 

“We had a very lucky break, Lulu could have suffered much worse. 

“A good lesson we have learned as a family is that we must always respect all the beautiful creatures in our ocean.”

The family has extended their thanks to the team at Bellingen Hospital – and the “wonderful woman” at Shelly Beach who helped.

“Unfortunately I don’t know her name.”

* While there has been no known reported cases of fatalities from wobbegongs, they have been responsible for a number of brutal attacks, including that of 13-year-old Rip Curl sponsored surfer Kirra-Belle Olsson at Avoca Beach on the NSW Central Coast in October last year.

Wobbegongs are bottom-dwelling sharks that spend most of their time resting on the sea floor.

They are often found among rocks or under ledges.

They are well camouflaged with a symmetrical pattern of bold markings that resembles a carpet.

Although generally not dangerous, unless provoked, they have been known to bite people who accidentally step on them in shallow water. 

They are flexible creatures and can easily bite a hand that is holding onto their tail.