A teen punched a shark after the animal attacked him and bit his hand. While paddling out, the boy came across 4- or 5-foot-long blacktip shark, said Capt. Aaron Jenkins, Volusia County Beach Safety spokesman.
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A friend of the victim told Channel 9 the teenager is in good spirits, but is still in the hospital. After being out for about an hour, Toomsoo, 12, said he recognized one of friends needed help.
“I thought he was coming to get us and stuff and then his hand was all red”.
Jenkins said that it was 11th shark bite reported in the county this year.
He paddled back to shore, where responders brought him to Bert Fish Medical Center to perform surgery on his hand.
“This is the second 14-year-old surfer to be bitten off of New Smyrna in two weeks, following an attack on September 20 on a boy sitting on his surfboard that was the 10 shark attack off of Volusia in 2015”. “As a surfer, can’t think about it”, said Orlando resident Nick Anselmo. “Now I know it can happen to anyone no matter what”.
Four other surfers were with him at the time of the incident.
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The victim says he punched the shark after he was bitten to get away.
