SoCal woman who survived shark attack in Corona del Mar speaks from hospital bed

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Southern California woman who survived a harrowing shark attack off Corona del Mar shared her story for the first time to ABC News.

Her wounds were so serious that there were teeth marks on her pelvic and arm bones. Her tricep was nearly ripped off.

"All of a sudden, I just feel this big bite ... I had my hands in the air screaming for a lifeguard," Maria Korcsmaros

She was lucky that two Newport Beach lifeguards were training in the water just 100 yards away.

MORE: Sunset Beach in Huntington Beach closed again due to sharks

The 52-year-old mother of three was training for a triathlon about a mile and a half off Corona del Mar. Korcsmaros' incredible level of fitness actually helped to stop the shark's teeth from going any deeper.

"Because of my fitness and my muscle mass and stuff, going through the abdominal walls and things kind of slowed it down," she said.

Based on the size of the teeth marks and Korcsmaros' wounds, shark experts believe it was a great white.

Korcsmaros says the shark attack won't keep her out of the water, but she may train in a lake instead of the ocean -- at least for now.