Florida Shark Attacks Surfer, Latched On ‘like A Bear Trap’ In World’s Bite Capital

A Florida surfer is vowing to return to nan waves aft being bitten by a shark successful a region deemed "the shark wound capital of nan world."

Volusia County Beach Safety confirmed to Fox News Digital that Matthew Bender, 40, of Winter Park, Florida, was surfing astatine nan celebrated but notoriously shark-prone waters of New Smyrna Beach connected Sunday, July 6, erstwhile a shark latched onto his arm.

"I felt it clamp down for illustration a carnivore trap retired of nowhere," Bender told Fox News affiliate, WOFL-TV, from his infirmary bed. "By nan clip I looked down, it was already gone. I ne'er saw nan shark, but it spot really forcefully. 

"It felt for illustration energy – pressure, utmost unit – and past I deliberation it shook its caput arsenic it fto go. It was truthful fast," he said.

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Matthew Bender told FOX 35 that he believes it's a "miracle" that he tin still move his manus pursuing nan shark onslaught astatine New Smyrna Beach successful Volusia County, Florida. (WOFL-TV)

Despite nan severity of nan bite, later measured astatine astir 10 inches long, Bender was capable to enactment conscious and coherent. Fellow beachgoers rushed to his aid. 

Thinking quickly, Bender asked for a committee leash, typically utilized to tether a surfer’s ankle to their board, and they fashioned it into a makeshift tourniquet. 

"I was squeezing nan full mangled area myself pinch my near hand," he recalled to nan outlet, arsenic others pulled nan tourniquet conscionable supra his elbow to extremity nan bleeding.

Videos from nan segment captured beachgoers surrounding Bender instantly pursuing nan attack.

People locomotion past an entree ramp astatine New Smyrna Beach successful Volusia County, Florida, nan area pinch nan astir shark attacks successful nan world, connected Feb. 23, 2024. (Jesus Olarte/AFP via Getty Images)

Lifeguards arrived moments later and transported Bender to nan hospital, wherever doctors performed emergency surgery to reconnect severed muscles, tendons and nerves. 

Remarkably, he was capable to move his fingers moreover earlier nan surgery.

"When I looked down, my limb was wholly mangled," Bender said. "It’s a occurrence my manus was still working."

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The betterment up whitethorn beryllium long, and nan resulting scar will beryllium permanent.

"I don’t cognize if it'll beryllium nan cool ones that chicks dig, but it mightiness beryllium ugly," he joked. 

Matthew Bender, 40, said he's excited to afloat retrieve and caput backmost retired to nan surf pursuing his shark attack. (WOFL-TV)

The longtime surfer is eager to return to nan waves, pinch doctors expecting Bender to make a afloat betterment wrong months.

"I deliberation nan Lord kept it from being serious. He useful successful mysterious ways," Bender said. "I sewage to return a small break, but I’ll beryllium backmost retired there. I’m a New Smyrna surfer astatine heart, and it’s not going to extremity now conscionable because of this."

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Authorities person not confirmed nan type aliases size of nan shark involved.