Friday, July 14: The crests of salty waves hit the surfboard. The smell of sea spray and sweat hugging each other, and the sun burning on the skin in Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Chris Pospisil (21) has been playing in the sea all day. Now he puts his legs on either side of his board and paddles toward the ground – one arm in front of the other.
It’s calm at sea. Chris listens to the seagulls screaming and sea turtles.
At his side he has his best friend Reese. Together they watch the beach.
Suddenly, Chris’ tray jerks. He feels a terrible sharp sensation when something grabs his leg, and in a few seconds he is thrown off the board.
The 21-year-old feels a sharp grip on his leg and turns to see:
There he sees his foot stuck in a shark’s mouth.
My foot was inside his jaw! Chuck me – cut me – feed me!
Chris shouted to Dagbladet. He was hospitalized for about a week after the brutal attack on Smyrna Beach.
He was seriously injured: The 21-year-old was in great pain when he arrived at the hospital. Photo: private.
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bloody affair
– I shouted at the top of my voice. Luckily, Reese was there and pulled me out of the monster’s jaws, says the 21-year-old, who was visibly moved.
He says his friend put him back on the board, and together they paddled frantically toward the ground.
– The shark surrounded us ready to attack again. I just thought “fuck”. Fortunately, we were saved by a big wave that gave us speed, so we quickly washed ashore.
I can not believe his eyes
On the beach, Chris was greeted by lifeguards who were ready to help.
“There was a lot of blood everywhere, and it felt like my legs were ripped open,” he says.
The 21-year-old admitted that he passed out once and twice on the way to the hospital.
– My heart beats in my chest. “The leg is breaking now,” I thought.
BLOOD: Chris passed out several times on the way to the hospital. Photo: private.
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I had to work
When Chris arrived at the hospital, he had to be operated on immediately. He says he damaged seven tendons in his leg during the shark bite, and says the shark’s sharp teeth must have severed an artery in his foot.
– They also found a piece of shark tooth inside my bone. I suffered two fractures, and had permanent nerve damage because of this, he claimed.
On Wednesday evening, the 21-year-old was allowed to go home from the hospital. Now he is just looking forward to recovering.
– I have a long recovery process ahead of me, and I’m ready to rise above it. There will be a good few weeks with crutches, and also likely a lot of physical therapy in the future, he comments.
Maintain your mood: Chris says it’s important to have a sense of humor and positive energy. Photo: private.
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known shark area
Florida is the place in the world with the highest number of shark attacks, according to the Florida Museum.
16 out of 57 shark attacks in the world in 2022 occurred in the US state. None of those 16 ended in death, but a total of five people died from shark attacks around the world last year.
Chris says he was shaken up after the accident, but indicated that he would jump on the skateboard again as soon as he could.
– I love the sea and I love surfing. Sharks are part of the ocean, and it’s their home, so I have to respect that, he continues.
New Smyrna Beach, he says, is a known shark-snatching area, which is backed up by The Daytona Beach News Journal.
There have been two shark attacks in two days just last week, he adds.
Rescue of a seven-year-old and nine-year-old from the “House of Horrors”
Chris says he’s glad things went the way they did after the shark attack. He feels lucky.
Now the 21-year-old says he will be more careful in the future.
In the aftermath of the horror incident, his cousin did so create paste Which will help the young student in the future.
At the time of writing, it has reached approximately NOK 30,000.
“Hospitals in the US are expensive, granted — so I was very impressed when I saw the plaster,” he comments.
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