A Florida beachgoer is recovering after an unusual run-in with a shark, which bit into his leg multiple times while he stood in shallow surf.
The 60-year-old man, who has not been identified, was standing in just two feet of water when the shark attacked his leg, NBC 2 reports. According to first responders who attended to the victim at Residents Beach, a private beach on Marco Island, the shark was between three to four-feet-long and bit into the man’s leg multiple times.
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Sergio DeLeon, one of the first responders on scene, described the shark attack as a very sudden event that caught the man totally off guard.
“It happened so quick he didn’t even know what hit him and he just saw blood start pouring out, and that’s when his family helped him back onto shore,” he explained. “It looked like multiple bites actually at least two or three bites.”
After being transported to Physicians Regional in Naples, the victim was treated for his multiple shark bite wounds and released.
The incident is hardly the first indication of sharks in the waters off Marco Island. Earlier this week, footage of a large shark was captured in the nearby ocean by Perry Mapes, who then sent it to NBC 2 . Though the species of shark was not readily determined, the animal was thought to be 12-feet-long, feeding on Tarpon in the Gulf of Mexico just off the island’s shoreline.
Sharks have also proven to be unwelcome visitors in nearby Bonita Springs. As WTSP notes, video emerged last week of a large bull shark swimming in the backyard of one resident’s home, prompting local property owners to speak out against the baiting and chumming tactics of area fishermen. City officials, however, noted that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has jurisdiction over any matters relating to sharks in the region.
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Last month, another large shark was filmed at Bonita beach. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the shark entered extremely shallow water, swimming to the edge of the surf break. A family of beachgoers were in the water when the shark approached the area, and after quickly exiting the ocean, were able to film the predator as it lingered within feet of the beach. Though it was unclear what species of shark had been sighted, the predator measured between seven and 10-feet-long.
Locals at Residents Beach asserted that they would be cautious about entering the surf after news of the shark bite, aware that they share the waters of Florida’s Gulf Coast with the predatory fish.
[Image: Perry Mapes via NBC 2 ]