Influencer asked friends if she'd die after being bitten by shark while filming TikTok video in the Maldives

Nastya Vitonova, who is also a singer, was swimming off the coast of the paradise islands when a shark bit her finger “to the bone”.

A video shows a tearful Vitonova, who was an on an organised tour boat when the attack took place, moments after. The Russian star’s hand can be seen gushing with blood while members of the boat crew pour water over her wound.

“I got bitten by a shark,” she says in between sobs, while another woman on the boat tells her: 'You're bleeding really badly.” This seems to panic the social media star who replied: “I won't die of blood infection?” Another social media personality on the boat, Isabelle Zagfarova, reassures her: “No, no, no, with sharks, the most important thing is that they don't bite your finger off. You won't get a blood infection.”

As she cried even more, Vitonova, who has 786,000 followers on TikTok and also more than 96,000 on Instagram, said: “I'm having a panic attack. I'm scared.” She was taken to the nearest island where she received medical treatment for her bite. In a separate clip she is heard asking: “Are they going to stitch it up?”.

The influencer later spoke about the shark attack on social media, explaining how she had been swimming alongside the sharks, an activity that is popular among tourists in the Maldives, when events took a bloody turn. She also confirmed that she had received stitches in her finger.

While most sharks on the island are considered to be friendly, some encounters with the animal can turn deadly. Describing how the sea beast suddenly bit her hand, she said it dug its sharp teeth into her for around two to three seconds.

She recalled: “All the worst scenarios started running through my head. I immediately swam to the boat and did everything with a cool head, despite the panic inside. I had a smile and laughter for the first five minutes, but it was hysteria and a defensive reaction.”

She went on: “There was horror inside, I was shaking all over . . . I realised that it was good that it all ended with just my hand. But then the realisation came, and finally the emotions came out. I started crying really hard, sometimes I couldn't breathe from the shock.'

“[The shark] bit [my finger] to the bone, now there is a small bump at the site of the stitch. But it is healing”, she confirmed.

The influencer also captured the moments before she was attacked in the video, where she can be seen enjoying the clear blue water.