Watch: Shark Attacks and Pulls Angler Overboard in Florida Everglades
The fisherman leaned over the side of the boat to rinse his hands when a shark leapt from the water and pulled him in
A recent video out of Florida shows the tense moment when a shark attacked an angler in Everglades National Park. According to the Instagram caption, the man was rinsing his hand in murky waters when the shark breached the surface and latched on. It then yanked him overboard while his fellow fisherman screamed and scrambled to pull him back on deck. The shark-bitten fisherman was later airlifted to a local hospital by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. Watch the video for yourself below.
The footage was re-shared on Instagram by the @thequalifiedcaptain on June 24. “After releasing a snook elarjan washed his hands in the water and was immediately bit by a large shark,” the caption reads. “The sharks are no joke in the Everglades and the warnings about keeping your hands out of the water are not an exaggeration.”
According to ABC News, the attack took place in Florida Bay, a 1,360-square-foot lagoon that lies between the southern tip of the Florida peninsula and the Florida Keys. The angler later reported the attack to a ranger with Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Park, ABC reported.
A National Park Service spokesperson told ABC that the shark that pulled the angler in was likely a bull shark. In the video, it leapt from the water and bit the man right after a fellow angler warned him not to dip his hands into the water.
“There was no blood or chum in the water” when the unprovoked attack occurred, the original post caption reads. “Please take this as a lesson and keep your hands out of the water because this could have been prevented.”
Related: Watch a Massive Great White Shark Hammer a Bluefin Tuna Inches from a Fishing Boat
Bull sharks are formidable predators that live in both fresh and saltwater. Adults commonly reach lengths of 11 feet or more. According to Oceana.org, they can weigh up to 700 pounds and live to be 20 years old. The International Game Fish Association all-tackle world record bull shark was caught off the coast of Kenya in 2001. It weighed 697 pounds, 12 ounces.
