A Florida fisherman had an unexpected encounter when he was bitten by a six-foot lemon shark while trying to take a picture with it. Despite this frightening incident, he expressed a desire to continue his fishing adventures targeting these apex predators.
On a Saturday night, Sean Meuse and his friends traveled to Boca Grande to fish. While one of their catches was being posed with, the shark suddenly turned aggressive.
As Meuse smiled for the camera with the large shark, it bit him in the leg, catching him completely off guard.
“We just pulled the hook out of his mouth. We were about to release him when the shark just bit me,” Meuse recounted.
A video captured the moment Meuse, holding the shark’s mouth, was suddenly attacked, resulting in a frantic scene as he bled and his friends reacted with shock.
The Boca Grande Fire Station quickly responded to a 911 call related to the attack. The caller informed them that Meuse was awake and attempting to control the bleeding with a towel and a tourniquet on his leg.
He was airlifted to Gulf Medical Center for treatment.
Despite the trauma of the situation, Meuse remained optimistic about returning to fishing. “If I can leave the hospital, I’ll be back out today,” he stated from his hospital bed. “This is just part of the game. Thankfully, it was only a little bit of me that he got, so I’m lucky.”
As a parting message to the sharks, Meuse said, “See you next time.”
Officials in Boca Grande have cautioned locals to stay vigilant for sharks during tarpon season, a time when both fish and sharks tend to swim closer to shore in warmer waters.
Meuse is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries.
