A shocking video has emerged that captures the moment a shark bit a fisherman and pulled him off a boat at the Everglades National Park in Florida. In the video, the man is seen reaching into the water to wash his hands. Suddenly, a shark that was partially hidden leaps out of the water and bites into him, causing him to fall into the water.
The man frantically struggled to return to the safety of the boat while his friends screamed in panic. Blood was visible on the side of the boat as the fisherman managed to climb back onto the boat.
Narrow Escape
Local reports indicate that park rangers initially arrived at the scene, and the man was later airlifted to a hospital by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue on Friday.
The incident happened as the man went to rinse his hands in the water despite his friend's warning. "I wouldn't put your hands in there," a person off-camera says.
Disregarding the potential danger, the man dismisses the notion, saying, "Ah, two seconds won't do anything." He then leans over the side of the boat and proceeds to dip his left hand and then his right hand into the water.
As soon as the man puts his hands into the water, a shark jumps and bites onto his right hand and pulls him underwater, making him scream, according to the video.
The shark eventually releases its grip, and the man attempts to grasp onto the boat using his injured hand, leaving a bloody handprint, the footage shows.
"Get him! Get him! Get him!" the friend screams in a panic as another person on board yells: "Oh my god."
The man was finally able to pull himself back onto the boat with the help of his friends. Michael Russo, the friend who captured the attack on camera, said that the group soon returned to the dock, where park rangers arrived to provide assistance to the victim.
"He was rushed back to the dock and the Park Rangers were a lifesaver (literally)," Russo wrote, according to the Florida Instagram account. "He was airlifted to the hospital and is in the best care possible."
Saved from the Claws of Death
According to Local 10 News, the National Park Service reported that the man was airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel. The extent of the man's injuries is unclear.
Russo later shared the video as a warning to others, highlighting the potential risks associated with interacting with marine wildlife.
"Today was one of the scariest days on the water I have ever had," he said. "...After releasing a snook, Nick washed his hands in the water and was immediately bit by a large [lemon] shark."
According to Russo, despite the absence of chum or blood in the water, the shark still launched the attack. This incident highlights the unpredictable nature of shark behavior and serves as a reminder that even without apparent attractants, sharks can still exhibit aggressive behavior.
"The sharks are no joke in the Everglades and the warnings about keeping your hands out of the water are not an exaggeration," he wrote. "Please take this as a lesson and keep your hands out of the water because this could have been prevented."
According to reports, shark attacks are common in the Everglades.
