A teenage surfer who won a championship was attacked by a shark and almost lost his arm as he reached for his surfboard.
Teddy Witteman, a member of the U.S. Junior Surfing Under-16 Men's Team, was grabbed by the left arm by a shark as he went to retrieve his surfboard during a surfing session at Melbourne Beach on Friday.
“I can see it shaking its head and writhing around inside my arms and along my body.” the 16-year-old told Fox35 Orlando.
“I could have lost an arm.”
A neighbor of the couple, Dave and Toye Crespi, who happened to be on the beach, came to the rescue. While Toye called 911, Dave took off his shirt and tied Teddy's bleeding arm. Florida Today reported.
“I saw my arm going crazy and I was trying to do the right thing. The other thought that went through my mind was, I'm bleeding, I'm going to take this bloody arm. “I'm using it to paddle, but what if the shark comes again?” Witteman told the magazine.
“My first thought was, 'Will I ever be able to compete in a surfing contest again?'”
He was treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center.
A teenage surfer was released from hospital on Wednesday after his arm was left bloody and covered in tooth prints by a shark estimated to be between 5 and 6 feet long.
Wittemann escaped serious injuries, but received 30 stitches and had to wear a cast for a month, but said: “It could have been much worse.”
This teenage boy dreams of a career in professional surfing, is a two-time East Coast champion, and is serious enough that he is homeschooled to spend more time in the water.
Despite his battle scars, Teddy's doctors say he should be able to surf again once his arm heals.
“We're just praying that we don't get infected,” her father, Ted Witteman, told FOX35.
The teen, a member of the U.S. Junior Surfing U16 Boys Team, will miss several upcoming competitions. However, the outlet reports that Witteman is still filling his calendar with upcoming milestones for his return to the water.
