Man who heroically saved 9-year-old girl from shark attack arrested by ICE just days later

A man who helped save a young girl from a shark attack is now facing deportation after he was detained by authorities on June 14.

Just a few days earlier on June 11, nine-year-old Leah Lendel was enjoying an afternoon snorkelling on the beach off Boca Grande, Florida, when she was suddenly attacked by a shark.

Leah nearly lost her hand in the scary ordeal but fortunately, due to the emergency service workers' quick thinking to air lift the youngster to hospital, surgeons were able to save her hand from being amputated.

Speaking from hospital after the horrifying ordeal, Leah told reporters: "I was just snorkelling, and then I went up to breathe. Then something hard bit me and tried to tug me away. I looked at my hand, and it was covered in blood. I started screaming for my mom."

As well as medical professionals, several good samaritans who were on the beach at the time of the attack rushed to help, one being Luis Alvarez.

Leah Lendel, 9, was operated on at Tampa General Hospital (WZVN)

According to witnesses, Luis, 31, was the first person to jump into the water to help Leah.

Raynel Lugo, who also helped Leah, said of Luis' heroic actions: "He jumped in the water to take the shark out of her hand."

He added that his friend is 'just that kind of person'.

Raynel went to to tell Gulf Coast News: "He's a great guy. He's always talking good stuff about the family, you know, fighting to get a better life for his family, working so hard and being in this country."

But in the days that followed Luis' kind act, he was pulled over by police in the early hours of June 14 because he reportedly had no headlights on his vehicle, according to an arrest warrant.

Luis Alvarez was seen on police bodycam footage after Leah had been saved (FOX 4 Now)

Officers then went on to learn that Luis was driving without a licence and arrested him. He's now being held in custody by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

It's believed that Luis has been in the US for over two years and has never held a driving license during this time.

As it stands it is unclear why Luis is being held by ICE as immigration attorney Ricardo Skerrett says he is authorizied to work in the US.

"He is someone with a work permit that is legally authorized to work here in the United States, is told by police for driving without a license," Skerrett explained.

"I don't know why this person is being detained by ICE if he had a work permit, unless he has a criminal background."

Luis is said to have a court date scheduled for July 9.