MIAMI (WSVN) - The 8-year-old boy who was bitten by a shark while snorkeling in the Florida Keys has been released from the hospital, and the medical team that treated him shared their story.
Speaking at a news conference held in Miami on Thursday, Lt. Col. Vicente Nelson, a surgeon at Ryder Trauma Center, described Richard Burrows as a model patient.
“He was completely calm, stoic kid and let us do what needed to be done, so we were able to give him the best care we could as quickly as we could,” said Nelson.
The surgeon said he and his team worked to ensure Richard would be able to recover from the nasty leg and arm injuries he suffered.
“Those lacerations, those serrations were deep,” said Nelson.
A blacktip shark bit Richard just above the knee just before 3:30 p.m. Monday when the boy was in the water with family in the area of Horseshoe Reef, off the coast of Key Largo.
Richard’s father, David Burrows, dialed 911 as he applied tourniquets to his son.
“911, what is your emergency?” said a dispatcher.
“We’re off shore, a shark bite,” said David Burrows, the boy’s father.
“A shark bite? Are you guys able to bring the patient back in?” said the dispatcher.
“Yeah, we’re on a boat,” said the boy’s father.
Richard’s 10-year-old sister, Rose, kept her brother’s leg elevated to slow the bleeding.
After the attack, the Burrows family received help from a good Samaritan on a nearby dive vessel, taking the boy to Garden Cove, where first responders were waiting.
Burrows was later airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in Miami.
Nelson and Dr. Brian Grottkau, Jackson Health’s Chief of Pediatric Orthopedics, said the actions of Richard’s loved ones made a big difference.
“That’s the magic of good pre-hospital care,” said Nelson.
That care helped keep the child’s condition stable enough to send him right into surgery the same night.
“We washed out his knee joint and repaired that tendon, while [Nelson’s] team was taking care of the arm bites,” said Grottkau.
“We could identify three major lacerations around the knee and a bunch of other cuts. I had a whole team working on him,” said Nelson.
“I think that’s one of the advantages of Holtz Children’s Hospital and Ryder Trauma, is that, you know, you have depth of talent and the ability for people to work synergistically for the benefit of the patient,” said Grottkau.
Their work allowed Richard to return to his Pinecrest home after spending three days in the hospital.
While Burrows has a long road to recovery ahead, his family thanked everyone involved in his rescue in a statement on Wednesday.
“The Burrows family would like to extend its sincere thanks to all those involved in Richard’s rescue and the amazing teamwork demonstrated[…]”
-Burrows Family
“He was just a delight. He was asking me when he could get back out there,” said Grottkau.
“The fact that he was discharged post-injury day three, I think, speaks to the severity of the injury and the fact that we were able to take care of it quickly, but also the character of the patient,” said Nelson.
The family is asking for privacy as they focus on Richard’s healing. His doctors said he will start physical therapy in a couple of weeks. He is expected to resume his normal activities in a few months.
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