| Q |
Where was your attack? |
| A |
The Ft. Peirce Inlet, Fl. |
| Q |
What activity were you doing? |
| A: |
I was surfing a swell from hurricane Florence. |
| Q |
What happened the day of your attack? |
| A: |
I was surfing an evening session and had just caught a wave in.
I stepped off my board into knee deep water, and when I turned around
to go back out, I felt something grab my ankle. I knew it was a shark,
but was surprised that it was in such shallow water. |
| Q |
Did the shark let go right away? |
| A: |
As soon as it realized I wasn't a fish it let go, but it tore through
my calf muscle and ankle. |
| Q |
Did you have any problems getting out
of the water? |
| A: |
The shark tore the tendons around my ankle so my foot was just hanging
from my leg. I had to walk backwards to get out of the water. A couple
of fisherman carried me to the parking lot and used part of my wetsuit
for a tourniquet to stop the bleeding while we waited for an ambulance. |
| Q |
What were the water conditions? |
| A: |
It was low tide with big waves which created dirty water. The temperature
was in the mid eighties with baitfish swimming all around. |
| Q |
There was baitfish? |
| A: |
Oh yeah! There was mullet everywhere. In fact, I was surfing at
daybreak the same day and was chased out of the water by Bullsharks
feeding on the baitfish. |
| Q |
Were you surfing alone? |
| A: |
No. There was at least fifty people surfing that evening. |
| Q |
Why do you think you were attacked? |
| A: |
Perhaps my leash got tangled around the shark, but I think I was
in the wrong place at the wrong time. |
| Q |
What permanent damage did you sustain
from the shark attack? |
| A: |
The doctor spent over four hours repairing tendons to my toes and
Tibialis anterior which allows me to lift my foot. I can move my ankle
almost the normal range of motion. It took four months before I was
physically able to go surfing again. I'm a little nervous when I surf
in dirty or choppy water because I can't see what is under the water.
When I do surf, I stay on my board and paddle as much as possible
so I don't have to stand on the bottom of the ocean. |
| Q |
What would be your advice to people who
enter the ocean? |
| A: |
Stay out of the water when baitfish are present. |
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