A teenager almost lost his arm when he was suddenly attacked by a shark while searching for his surfboard.
Teddy Wittemann, 16, was surfing at Melbourne Beach, near Orlando, when he fell off his board in the surf and tried to catch it.
“I was surfing with my friend Baylor and after a wave, I reached out to grab my board and get back out,” he said.
“The shark bit the inside of my elbow and forearm and held on while flailing for a second.”
Teddy Wittemann, 16, was surfing at Melbourne Beach, near Orlando, when he was attacked by a shark. Dave Crespi tied his shirt over the wound as a tourniquet
Teddy was treated at the scene by paramedics and then transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center.
Teddy said he saw the predator, a five- or six-foot tiger shark, along the side of his body as it bit his arm.
He said he probably thought his limb was a fish and let it go when he didn’t know what he expected after taking a chunk out of his left arm.
Teddy was still 200 feet from safety and had to swim with his shattered arm back to shore, screaming for help and knowing his blood could attract more sharks.
“Luckily, Dave Crespi was on the beach with his wife (Toie) while I waved at them for help,” he said.
“Very grateful to all the first responders who were able to be there to help me through all of this.”
Crespi tied his shirt over the wound as a tourniquet while Toie called 911 and another neighbor passing by let him use his phone to call his parents.
Teddy said he saw the predator, a five- or six-foot tiger shark, along the side of his body as it bit his arm.
He said he probably thought his limb was a fish and let it go when he didn’t know what he expected after taking a chunk out of his left arm.
Fortunately, there was no major damage and he escaped with 30 stitches and was sent home after two days to recover in a cast on his arm for the next month.
Teddy was treated at the scene by paramedics and then transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center.
Fortunately, there was no major damage and he escaped with 30 stitches and was sent home after two days to recover in a cast on his arm for the next month.
‘I am out of the hospital with no tendon or ligament damage. “I feel so blessed that it wasn’t worse,” he said.
Teddy, who is on the USA Junior Surfing U16 men’s team, planned to return to surfing as soon as his doctor ordered a six-week break.
He competes in the USA Surfing Prime series and hoped to one day qualify for the International Surfing Association World Junior Games.