Geoff swims every morning in Sydney Harbour just metres from where Lauren O’Neill was attacked by a shark. Here’s why he has no plans to stop – and one thing he will never do

A brave local is back swimming in Sydney Harbour just days after a woman was almost killed in a brutal shark attack – and wants others to get back in the water too.

Potts Point retiree Geoff Petersson, 75, says the mauling swimmer Lauren O’Neill suffered will not stop him jumping into the water every morning at Elizabeth Bay.

Ms O’Neill, 29, was attacked by a vicious bull shark just metres away from Mr Petersson’s regular swim spot on Monday evening.

She lost litres of blood – and nearly her entire left leg – after the shark ripped open her flesh below the knee and bit through to the bone.

Her limb was saved by a team of expert surgeons at St Vincent’s Hospital, in Sydney’s CBD, who operated on her several times throughout Monday night into Tuesday morning. She is now expected to make a full recovery.

However, that hasn’t deterred Mr Petersson, who told Daily Mail Australia he felt safe swimming in Elizabeth Bay despite recent warnings.

‘I’ve swum here most mornings for the last 10 years – I don’t go in very far, just a few laps between the marina and the pier,’ he said on Thursday. 

‘You wouldn’t catch me swimming at dawn or dusk though.’ 

Mr Petersson told Daily Mail Australia he felt safe swimming in Elizabeth Bay despite recent warnings: ‘I don’t go in very far, just a few laps between the marina and the pier’

Mr Petersson said about half a dozen people swam in Elizabeth Bay most mornings, but he has been on his own in the days since Ms O’Neill was attacked.

‘I figured if I get back in the water it might encourage others to go back in too,’ he said. 

Residents who rushed to help Ms O’Neill on Monday said she was swimming outside a ‘netted harbour pool’, and was ‘swimming around the boats’.

Neighbour Michael Porter said he was alerted by Ms O’Neill’s ‘soft yell’ for help outside his window just before 8pm, seeing her clinging to a ladder on the wharf.

‘I saw Lauren sort of propped up on the ladder and with her leg trailing behind her,’ he said.

‘There was a big dark red pool of blood. Automatically I knew it was an emergency situation, I grabbed my phone and ran outside whilst calling Triple Zero.’

Mr Porter was quickly joined by several other neighbours, including ‘hero’ vet Fiona Crago who applied tourniquets to stem the bleeding.

Ms O’Neill spoke out about the attack for the first time on Wednesday afternoon, saying she was taking a short dip close to the shore when the animal bit her. 

Lauren O’Neill, 29, (pictured) was attacked by a vicious bull shark just metres away from Mr Petersson’s regular swim spot at Elizabeth Bay on Monday evening 

‘(Lauren) wishes to thank her heroic and very kind neighbours for the critical assistance they provided her,’ said a statement issued by St Vincent’s Hospital on her behalf on Wednesday said. 

The statement also said Ms O’Neill was ‘immensely grateful’ to paramedics and police officers for their ‘swift and caring actions at the scene’ as well as the clinicians and specialist surgical teams who assisted her in hospital. 

‘She would also like to thank the public for their outpouring of support and kindness,’ it read.

There are currently no shark nets or netted enclosures in the harbour at Elizabeth Bay. 

However, City of Sydney Council are understood to be exploring the possibility of increasing netted locations along the harbour shore. 

Elizabeth Bay resident, Judy Fernendez said locals were still reeling from the attack on Monday and hoped it would serve as a wake-up call that shark nets were needed.

Ms O’Neill was attacked near a jetty in Elizabeth Bay in Sydney Harbour (map pictured)

Emergency services rushed to Elizabeth Bay at 7.45pm on Monday to find Ms O’Neill with a severe bite to her leg and suffering ‘major blood loss’

‘Without encroaching on the marina We have ample space to cordon off an area for swimming,’ she said

‘I think there are a whole manner of controls the council need to consider.’ 

Ms O’Neill suffered a further blow whe, on Thursday night, a leaked photo revealed the significant wound to her lower leg.

The image, which Daily Mail Australia will not publish, displays a medic holding her foot, with Ms O’Neill’s bandages apparently removed and her painted red toenails visible.

St Vincent’s Hospital has launched an investigation into how the image became public.

The avid kayaker and swimmer remains at the hospital, where she was rushed for surgery following the attack. 

The incident was the first serious attack inside the harbour since 2009, when navy diver Paul de Gelder lost his right leg and hand to a bull shark