Florida firefighter bitten by shark at New Smyrna Beach
The man drove himself home after being bitten by the shark, so his girlfriend could take him to the hospital.
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Oliver Shipley, shark expert and research professor at Stony Brook University, joined FOX Weather to dispel common myths and misunderstandings about sharks. July 25, 2024.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. - C.J. Lyles, a firefighter from Florida, drove himself home after being bitten by a shark, so his girlfriend could take him to the hospital.
The 31-year-old was bitten by a shark while surfing at New Smyrna Beach on Tuesday. Video footage shows blood pouring from his injured hand as beachgoers gathered around to offer help.
Fresh out of the hospital Thursday, Lyles recounted the incident.
"I just felt something hit my hand out of nowhere. It scared me," he said. "I felt razor-sharp teeth, some pressure, kind of like a vacuum in a way."
FILE: A dusky shark, one of the shark species found in Florida's waters.
(Joanna Steidle via Storyful / FOX Weather)
Lyles, a paramedic and driver engineer with the Edgewater Fire Department, realized he needed more than stitches when he saw his hand.
"My left index finger had two torn tendons in it that the doctor repaired, and my middle finger had one tendon that was lightly torn," he said.
Despite becoming the latest victim in the "Shark Bite Capital of the World," Lyles remains undeterred.
"I’ll give it a couple of weeks, see how my hand feels," he said. "Obviously, I’m going to think about it when I go back out, but I don’t think I can quit just based off that. It’s kind of a freak accident – unlucky."