A 13-year-old boy in Neptune, Florida was having a great time enjoying this Memorial Day weekend — until he got attacked by a shark.
via News4Jax:
The boy was in the water with his father on a surfboard when the shark bit him on his right calf. They immediately got out of the water and told the lifeguards.
Ocean Rescue was able to bandage up the boy quickly and got the bleeding under control. He suffered severe lacerations and was taken to UF Health Jacksonville where he is in stable condition.
“He was screaming ‘it hurts, it hurts’ and we could just see the trail of blood leading over here,” said Heidin Perez, who was at the beach during the attack.
Perez said the boy asked rescuers not to put pressure on his leg because it was so painful.
Officials told News4Jax that based on the boy’s bite marks, they think the shark is about 5 feet long.
“Judging by the bite, it looked to be 7-8 inches wide, so it could have been anywhere from 4-5 feet, maybe even larger,” said Captain Richmond Banks of Neptune Beach Ocean Rescue.
“There are about 6 or 7 species that are very common and this would include the sharp nose shark, the black tip shark, the spinner, these are the most abundant sharks within our region,” said Dr. Jim Gelsleichter, a shark expert at the University of North Florida.
Officials closed the beach shortly after the attack.
“We closed it down for a little while. Once 45 minutes had passed, we took the guards back off that detail and let people go back into the water,” said Capt. Banks.
Thank goodness the boy AND the shark survived. As always, if you plan to hit the beach this Summer — be mindful of your surroundings.
Breaking: video of boy bitten by a shark near Neptune Beach. We are on scene getting details. pic.twitter.com/drD9Fok3Ov
— Nicole Young (@MrsNicoleYoung) May 29, 2016
