NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — A Florida firefighter is on the road to recovery following an encounter with a marine predator that left him with a serious injury to his hand.
Surfing is a family affair for New Smyrna Beach native CJ Lyles.
“Yeah, my dad has been making surfboards for forever now,” he said.
On Tuesday, the 31-year-old was out on the water when things took a frightening turn.
When he’s out there catching barrels on his board, Lyles doesn’t normally think about the risks. That’s why, when a shark zeroed in on the unsuspecting surfer, he didn’t react the way you might expect.
“I wasn’t going to be able to surf, not going to be able to work. Just mad that it happened,” he said.
Lyles said he felt something sharp grab hold of his hand. After that, he was afraid to look down.
“I knew it was a shark right away. I tried to move my hand, and it wasn’t letting go for a few seconds, and it thrashed around, and it finally let go,” he said.
From there, Lyles went straight to the hospital, and that’s when the pain began to intensify.
Doctors told him he suffered two torn tendons in his index finger, one in his middle finger and nerve damage in both.
The injury is a bit concerning, considering Lyles is a firefighter for the city of Edgewater.
“Doctor said at least two weeks, but we will see what happens. I have therapy starting Monday,” he said.
Lyles’ focus now is getting back to work and to the water. Even after this experience, he has no fear surfing in the shark bite capital of the world.
“It’s just a name, I guess. The waves are still good,” he said.
Beach safety officials have found most bites that happen throughout the Volusia County area are a case of mistaken identity from small sharks looking for fish.
That’s part of what gives Lyles the confidence to keep catching waves.
“Were thankfully not losing arms or legs. It’s usually small bites, so we’re still gonna surf,” he said.
Lyles is the sixth shark bite victim in Volusia County so far this year.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.