Fla. Student Recalls Being Attacked by Shark While Surfing: ‘I Saw My Foot in His Mouth’
"The shark came from under me, on my board and tipped me backwards off my board," said Chris Pospisil
A Florida college student who survived a terrifying shark attack last week is already looking forward to his next surf day.
Chris Pospisil, a 21-year-old University of Central Florida student, and his friend Reece Redish were surfing at New Smyrna Beach on July 14 and were about to head back to shore when he was attacked, according to Fox affiliate WOFL-TV and The New York Post.
"The shark came from under me, on my board and tipped me backwards off my board, and I was falling backwards, I saw my foot in his mouth, and it dragged me under," he told the station.
Pospisil, a member of the school's surfing team, said Redish was ready to jump into action once he resurfaced.
"Reece was already there, already on top of me, got me by my shirt, and pulled me on the board," he added. The 21-year-old yelled "I got bit!" and leapt out of the water, Redish told CBS affiliate WKMG-TV.
WKMG-TV reported that once the duo reached the shore, Volusia County lifeguards quickly stopped the bleeding.
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"I remember asking the lifeguard, ‘Am I going to lose my foot?’ He was like, ‘I don’t know man,’" Pospilsil told the outlet.
While Pospisil has returned home from the hospital following surgery on his foot, reports indicate that he has a long recovery ahead of him.
He will be unable to use the injured foot for six to eight weeks and will be required to undergo physical therapy for six months, WOFL-TV reported. Doctors also had to extract a shark tooth from Pospisil's bone and repair numerous tendons.
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"The top of my foot is going to be numb in some areas for the rest of my life, and my foot might be stiff because they had to repair all seven tendons," Pospisil said.
According to WOFL-TV, he praises Redish coming to his aid so quickly.
"Reece really made the difference," Pospisil told the outlet. "You know, if he wasn’t there, I think it could have been way worse, and I think I definitely wouldn’t have gotten to the shore in time and probably would have passed out in the water."
A GoFundMe has been started to assist with Pospisil's medical costs while he awaits his next surfing trip.
"It hasn’t changed anything," Pospisil told WOFL-TV. "I’m definitely going to keep surfing. It’s my lifestyle, and it’s something I love to do."
"When Chris is better, I’ll be surfing with him every day," Redish added.
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