SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A man was airlifted from Key West to Southwest Miami-Dade after he was bitten by a shark while out on the water.
The man was enjoying his Sunday afternoon swim near a boat off Boca Grande Key, 14 miles from Key West, when his relaxation turned into a nightmare in a matter of seconds.
“We got a call from the Coast Guard. They’ve had a very bad shark bite. Arterial bleed at Boca Grande. There’s no [estimated time of arrival] yet because the patient is still on the beach area,” said a 911 dispatcher.
Investigators said the 43-year-old victim was bitten in the lower leg at around 5 p.m. and quickly alerted others.
Luckily, good Samaritans were nearby and jumped into action, bringing him to shore and tending to him while they waited for help to arrive.
U.S. Coast Guard Machine Technician 2nd Class Louis Bosc told 7News these good Samaritans were medical professionals.
“There happened to be two nurses at the same boat with the individual, who were able to apply initial first aid and put on a tourniquet, ’cause there appeared that he had an arterial bleed coming from the shark attack,” he said.
“He’s being tended to at Boca Grande [Key] on the beach still, by nurses on scene. They’ve applied a tourniquet. He is breathing,” said a 911 dispatcher.
The U.S. Coast Guard escorted the good Samaritan’s boat to its pier where Monroe County Fire Rescue was waiting.
Upon their arrival, the man was airlifted 128 miles to Jackson South Medical Center in Southwest Miami-Dade.
As of Tuesday morning, the man remains hospitalized and his condition is unclear, but Monroe County officials described him as stable when he arrived at the hospital.
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