A surfer has had two shark encounters and has lived to tell the tale.
Florida surfer and fishboat captain Cole Taschman was first attacked by a shark in 2013 at Bathtub Beach near Jupiter, Florida. That time “was a tiny, little reef pup,” he told WPTV.
Fast forward more than a decade. Taschman was at the same beach and was bitten by a shark, again. This time a much bigger one, about seven to eight feet long attacked his legs, WPTV reported.
“I looked behind me and he was kind of just like ah on the back of me, and I just looked and saw the last second of him.”
He got back to shore after the bite and that’s when the other people on the beach rushed to save his life, using surfboard leashes as tourniquets to stop the bleeding.
Taschman said his friends rushed him to the hospital because it was quicker than calling 911.
“I actually blacked out. Ana’s in the back slapping me. Zack’s driving like a mad man getting to the hospital and he was dumping water on my head, they kept me awake thank God,” Tascham told WPTV.
It took two surgeries, several staples and 93 stitches to repair the damage.
According to an online fundraiser set up by his girlfriend he had damage to three tendons in his legs.
He still has a large cut on his right foot and damage to his left.
“I almost lost the whole part of my ankle and then on this (left) foot, I don’t even know how I still have toes to tell you the truth,” Taschman said.
Taschman said he doesn’t have health insurance, so he started a GoFundMe to help cover the medical bills. The fundraiser said he won’t be able to work for about three months as he recovers.
The odds of being attacked by a shark is about 1 in 11.5 million according to The Florida Museum.
Bathtub Beach is south of New Smyrna Beach the shark bite capital of the world, according to Surfer magazine.
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