BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A 16-year-old surfer from Brevard County was bitten on the ankle by a shark near the Sebastian Inlet just before noon Saturday.
The victim, Michael Adler, suffered a shark bite that fire rescue officials said is non-life threatening.
"We see sharks all the time and usually they never harm you, so this is pretty weird," Adler told WFTV from his hospital bed.
Adler said he was catching a last wave when he climbed on his board and felt something.
"As soon as I got back on the board I felt like this hold. He gave me a little shake and let me go. Right then I knew it was a shark attack," Adler said.
Adler said he paddled as fast as he could back to shore and flagged down his friend. Witnesses helped tie a tourniquet to put pressure on the wound before Adler was rushed to the hospital.
"I just knew that I needed to help this boy that was coming out of the water. We assisted him as much as we could and the rescue got there pretty quick," said rescuer Tiffany Langford.
He is now recovering at Holmes Regional Medical Center after having surgery.
The teenager shook off the seriousness of the incident and said he will get back out into the water as soon as he can.
This was the second reported shark bite in central Florida in 2013.
WFTV
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