A fisherman lost his leg when an aggressive shark attacked him in the water.

Vikya Suresh Gowari, 32, survived the fatal attack in Palghar, in the Maharashtra state of India, on Tuesday, February 13.

Vikya said he was out catching fish in the Vaitarna River bay when he apparently caught the attention of the shark lurking nearby.

It bit through his leg, nearly ripping it off with its teeth.

Other fishermen managed to rescue Vikya from the attack and rushed him to hospital.

A video appears to show the moment Vikya was attacked by the 440-lb beast.

Other images show the shark being caught by other fishermen following the attack.

Vikya's leg reportedly had to be amputated due to the severe injuries. He is currently undergoing treatment at the Vinoba Bhave Hospital.

Inspector Satish Shivarkar from the Manorpolice station said: 'The victim was out to catch fish on Tuesday. While out, he was bitten by a four-foot-long shark. The incident happened around 6:30 pm on February 13.

'After the incident, the fishermen rescued Gowari from the shark's clutches.

'The bite on his left leg is nearly four inches deep and the medical personnel informed us that his injured leg needed to be amputated below the knee.'

This was reportedly the first recorded shark attack in Palghar.

Forest officials are investigating the incident and have taken the dead shark along with them, the inspector added.