SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A man was airlifted from Key West to Southwest Miami-Dade after he was bitten by a shark while out on the water.
The man was enjoying his Sunday evening swim near a boat off Boca Grande Key when his relaxation turned into a nightmare in a matter of seconds due to the bite.
“We got a call from the Coast Guard. They’ve had a very bad shark bite. Arterial bleed at Boca Grande. There’s no [estimated time arrival] yet because the patient is still on the beach area,” said a 911 dispatcher.
The 43-year-old was bitten in the lower leg and quickly alerted others.
Luckily, several good Samaritans were nearby and jumped into action, bringing him to shore and began tending to him while they waited for help to arrive.
“He’s being tended to at Boca Grande [Key] on the beach still, by nurses on scene. They’ve applied a tourniquet. He is breathing,” said a 911 dispatcher.
The U.S. Coast Guard escorted the good Samaritan’s boat to its pier where Monroe County Fire Rescue was waiting.
Upon their arrival, the man was lifted 128 miles to Jackson South Medical Center in Southwest Miami-Dade.
As of Monday evening, the man remains hospitalized and his condition is unclear, but Monroe County officials describe him as stable.
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