ORLANDO, Fla. (WESH) – A teen in Brevard County, Florida, is grateful to have escaped a shark while surfing last week.
“Just out of nowhere, it got the inside of my arm and (snaps finger) just like that,” 16-year-old Teddy Wittemann said.
Wittemann was catching waves stirred up by recent storms last Friday when he fell off his board and into the water.
“I looked over because I felt this pressure on my arm, and I saw it along the side of my body. I knew exactly what was going on,” he said.
The teen believes a bull shark, about 6 feet long, bit him and then left.
After paddling back to shore, friends helped to stop the bleeding and called 911.
Wittemann is no stranger to the ocean and has been surfing for most of his life. He knew a shark encounter was always a remote possibility and has plans to get back into the ocean.
The teen said he loves surfing and hopes to go pro someday.
“I don’t want a little… well it’s not a little, I mean not a little bit, but a little hiccup to throw me off,” Wittemann said.
The 16-year-old is thankful he survived and is grateful for the chance to encourage anyone else going through a difficult moment.
“I think it’s important that people know to be there for somebody if they’re going through this kind of incident because something that helped me was having friends and family around,” Wittemann said.
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