Teddy Wittemann was bitten by a shark while surfing in Brevard County, Florida. Photo: Teddy Wittemann//Instagram
A teenage surfer is recovering from a shark attack at a Florida beach. Teddy Wittemann, 16, was surfing in Brevard County, Florida, when a six-foot bull shark latched on to his arm.
The incident happened while Witteman was out surfing with a friend the evening of Friday, October 11. He had just fallen and was reaching out to retrieve his board, in order to paddle back out. “The shark bit around the inside of my elbow/forearm and held on while thrashing around for a second,” Wittemann wrote on Instagram. “I got a quick look at what seemed to be a five-foot-plus shark along the side of my body”
Teddy immediately began paddling back to shore. “I was paddling in and I was screaming help,” he told Florida Today. “I was looking at my arm, freaking out, but trying to do the right thing. Another thought going through my mind was ‘I’m bleeding out, I’m using this bloody arm to paddle in. What if another shark comes?’”
Once on land, onlookers rushed to his aid. They stopped the bleeding by tying a shirt around his shoulder, then called 911, according to NBC 6 Miami. Paramedics treated Teddy on the scene and then transported him to Holmes Regional Medical Center.
Wittemann has since posted an update on his Instagram page, saying he is out of the hospital with no tendon or ligament damage. “Super thankful to all the first responders that were able to be there for me during all this,” he wrote. “Also, thanks for all the love from everyone these past couple days”
Despite the ordeal, Teddy has vowed to return to the water as soon as he is able. “It’s what I love to do,” he told NBC 6 Miami “I love surfing. I do it everyday, it’s what I grew up doing, it’s my passion to become a pro surfer someday. So, I mean, I don’t want a little – I mean, not a little bite, but a little hiccup to kind of throw me off.”
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