Hannah Thomas, 21, had only been working at the Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary near Oban, Argyll, for a few days when she suffered her ordeal with the Giant Pacific Octopus. She was feeding the octopus, named after the governor of California and former film star Arnold Schwarzenegger, a meal of crab on the end of a long pole.
The octopus scrambled up the pole and grabbed her arm with two of its powerful tentacles.
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Hide AdMs Thomas was rescued by her colleague, Gareth Hanniman, after he heard her scream for help. She said: "It was very scary. Arnie is very big and very strong – as his name suggests.
"I was feeding him on the end of a pole. He usually comes up to the top of the tank and takes a crab, but this time out of curiosity he wrapped his tentacles around my arm.
"When I pulled away he pulled back. That's when I realised just how strong he was and realised I could be pulled in to the tank."
Mr Hanniman, 27, said: "I was working with our flatfish when I heard Hannah scream."
He added: "I managed to get him to release his grip and concentrate on the crab from the stick instead. He went back to the bottom of his tank."