Man Comes Home 'Bleeding to Death' After Shark Attack

911 caller said Florida 39-year-old was 'bleeding to death'
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 18, 2020 8:20 AM CST
Injured Florida Man Walks Home After Shark Attack
This Nov. 8, 2003, photo shows a view from Siesta Key Beach, Florida.   (Wikimedia/Forest and Kim Starr)

A Florida shark attack victim was apparently "bleeding to death" after walking out of the water and back to his house on Tuesday. A woman at the home called 911 to report that a man had been bitten on his arm and hand while swimming off Siesta Key. She described the 39-year-old as alert but "bleeding to death." A medic arrived within 10 minutes, followed by an ambulance, which took the man to a hospital. The hospital confirmed it was treating a shark bite but wouldn't comment on the man's condition, per the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Such attacks are incredibly rare. There have been just seven unprovoked shark attacks in Sarasota County since records began in 1882, and even fewer in neighboring counties, according to a file kept by the Florida Museum, per the Tampa Bay Times. The majority of attacks have been recorded in the side-by-side counties of Volusia (312) and Brevard (150) on the east coast. It's unclear what species of shark is suspected in Tuesday's attack, though the Herald-Tribune reports bull sharks can be found along the Gulf Coast. (More shark attack stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X