Florida Teen Remains Fearless After Diving Into Water And Getting Bitten By A Shark
On the morning of July 8, around 11:15 AM, he entered the water at Ponce Inlet. As he did, a shark bit into his right calf, leaving him with a serious wound that required 17 stitches to close.
“I dove onto it, and I hit the shark. I hit it with my hands, and then I stood up, and it spun around and was like underneath my legs. And I think it bit me then, when it was wrapped around my feet,” he said. “When it came under my feet, I was like hitting it, and then it swam away.”
He shared his thoughts, saying: “I think it’s something really rare that can happen, and if it’s happened once, I doubt it’s going to happen again. So, I don’t think there’s really anything to be scared of.”
The Volusia County Junior Lifeguard Program has been running since 1990. Its primary focus is to educate participants on water safety, lifesaving techniques, and beach ecology. The program is committed to equipping young trainees with top-tier instruction so that, one day, they can step up as skilled and confident lifeguards.
The 55-year-old, reportedly from Canada, was visiting Providenciales—the breathtaking main island of the Turks and Caicos archipelago—when she was attacked.
It is believed she was attempting to take a photo of the shark when the situation took a terrifying turn.
The predator bit her thigh, and due to the severity of her injuries, she had to undergo the amputation of both hands.
The first attack occurred in September 2021, when a man suffered a bite to his wrist from what was believed to be a seven-foot lemon shark or tiger shark.
In another incident, a 22-year-old tourist tragically lost his foot in May 2023.
Meanwhile, Florida holds the unfortunate title of being the shark bite capital of the world, averaging around 19 reported attacks each year.
Globally, these attacks represented about 30 percent of unprovoked shark bites that year.
