A WOMAN has been left fighting for her life after a shark bit her head when she was diving.

The 32-year-old suffered “extremely serious head injuries”, and is in hospital.

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The SA Ambulance were first on the scene at Port Noarlunga Jetty after getting horror reports of a shark mauling a woman’s face.

Images from the scene show other beachgoers frantically leaving the water and helping to hold up plastic sheets and barriers to protect the woman’s privacy as she laid stricken in pain.

Emergency services rushed to the Adelaide beach after the terrifying event and found the woman conscious and breathing but with severe facial injuries.

In a statement, police say the dangerous beast wasn’t found even after the beach was evacuated.

It read: “Police with the assistance of other emergency services evacuated the water while a search to locate the shark was undertaken.”

“Members of the public have since returned to the water after the search failed to locate the shark.”

The woman was taken to Flinders Medical Centre for further treatment.

It comes just over a week after a 55-year-old South Australian surfer named Tod Gendle was fatally killed by a great white at a beach near Streaky Bay.

That was the second death in South Austarlia this year after Simon Baccanello, 46, a teacher was killed by a shark near Elliston.

Earlier this month a woman was mauled by a great white shark twice in a gruesome attack in front of horrified beachgoers.

Terrified onlookers rushed to the water to drag her to safety as the victim screamed for help.