Moment shark bites fisherman’s hand and drags him overboard in murky Everglades
A man in Florida survived a harrowing shark attack after he was pulled off a fishing boat on Friday.
The terrifying attack took place in Everglades National Park, a 1.5million acre wilderness preserving the state’s iconic mangrove forests and swamps.
The victim, who has not been identified, survived the ordeal and was rescued by park rangers.
They were given first aid at the scene by first responders from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, before being airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center in Miami, the National Park Service said.
A video that circulated on social media shows the exact moment a shark pulls him into the massive swamp.
The footage, which was first obtained by WPLG Local News in Miami, appears to show the hapless fisherman’s friends pull their friend out of the water quickly after a shark lunges up to grab his wrist.
Before the attack, the victim can be seen reaching into the water, as the massive beast can be seen circling the small vessel.
‘I wouldn’t put your hands in there,’ another person on the boat says.
‘Ah, two seconds won’t do anything,’ the victim replies, only seconds before the shark latches on to his arm.
‘Get him! Get him! Get him!’ the other fishers on the boat yell as they quickly pull back on to the vessel.
‘PSA: please don’t make the same mistake and please keep your hands and feet in the vessel,’ the video is captioned.
It is unclear what species of shark attacked the fisherman. At least seven species of sharks live along the coasts of Florida, including two of the deadliest – the tiger shark and the bull shark, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC).
But only a few species are known to inhabit inland swamps like those in the Everglades.
According to the FWC, the bull shark is ‘one of the few shark species that may inhabit freshwater, sometimes venturing hundreds of miles inland via coastal river systems.’
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