A swimmer who was bitten on the ankle by a 6ft shark while she was snorkelling told how she saved her foot from amputation - by punching the creature in the face.<br /><br />Heather West, 42, was out snorkelling with some friends around Loggerhead Key at Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida when she had the terrifying experience.<br /><br />The group were exploring Little Africa Reef when the sea became too choppy for them to snorkel, so they decided to turn back and have a picnic on the beach.<br /><br />They swam in a single file line back to the shore, with Heather bringing up the rear.<br /><br />Heather, from, Houston, Texas, said: "I was really excited to explore Loggerhead with these guys I'd met travelling, as they were experienced snorkelers.<br /><br />"When we got in everything was fine, but then the water became really rough and tidal so we decided to head back.<br /><br />"That's when I got a strange feeling that something was wrong, and funnily enough i felt the tug on my ankle.<br /><br />"I originally thought one of the others was just being silly, but after the second pull I knew exactly what was happening.<br /><br />"I turned on my back to see this huge beast with my foot in its mouth, so I instinctively started kicking it in the face with my other foot."
