A SWIMMER has detailed the shocking moment that he realized he was being attacked by wild sea creatures in a lake.

Matt Leffers, an experienced swimmer, did not expect to be targeted by sea otters when he went swimming in Serene Lakes in California.

Leffers was visiting his family cabin in early September, something he’s done for 30 years.

He decided to take a leisurely swim in the lake but his day quickly took a drastic turn.

“I felt something bite my calf,” Leffers told local NBC affiliate KCRA.

“Within seconds, I was bit again. And then I started swimming fast but there was the otter, popped up right in front of me, and then I was bit again.”

According to Leffers, two otters sunk their teeth into him, leaving more than 40 punctures all over his body.

He referred to the awful moment as a life-or-death situation.

“These things were so aggressive that, literally, I felt like they wanted to kill me,” Leffers said.

“It is by far the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had in my life.

“Nothing even comes close.”

He said that his wife came to his rescue and used a paddleboat to bring him back to shore.

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She then rushed him to the hospital.

“I really thought that I was going to die,” Leffers told the Sacramento Bee while adding that the otters could have punctured an artery.

This is not the first otter attack in the area over the last few months.

Peta Tira, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said while otter attacks are rare, there were several this summer.

“River otters are cute and charismatic and should be enjoyed from a safe distance,” Tira said.

“They are equally as fast on land as they are in the water and their teeth can inflict a lot of damage.”

Biologists said that an abundance of fish in the lake is likely why there are more otters in the area and could explain their behavior.

Leffers, who is still shocked by the experience, said he thinks the California Department of Fish and Wildlife should’ve taken more action.

“Fish and Wildlife have been very wimpy in their response,” Leffers said.

“They need to mitigate the situation before somebody gets killed.”