Shark Attack Survivor: "It Came From Under Me, On My Board"
Chris Pospisill believes his friend saved his life after being attacked by a shark in Florida
Recently, drone footage of sharks swimming in the ocean has been going viral. In some of the clips, several of the underwater creatures swim underneath oblivious surfers, more focused on catching a wave than potentially deadly creatures lurking below. While most people in these videos aren't bothered by the sharks – even Great Whites – one Florida surfer wasn't so lucky. On Friday, Chris Pospisil was attacked by a shark while surfing in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and lived to tell the story.
According to Pospisil, he was surfing with his friend Reece Redish, also from Brevard County, but the wave chasers ended up at New Smyrna Beach to take advantage of a swell. What they didn't anticipate was a shark attack.
After spending a day surfing, the duo was about to head home when Pospisill encountered what he believes was a spinner shark. "The shark came from under me, on my board, and tipped me backward off my board, and I was falling backward, I saw my foot in his mouth, and it dragged me under," he said.
Luckily, his friend took action. "Immediately when I resurfaced, Reece was already there, already on top of me, got me by my shirt, and pulled me on the board," he added.
"I'm not going to leave my friend in the water," Redish said. "I'm willing to put myself at risk to help out anyone."
Doctors removed a shark tooth from Pospisill's bone and had to repair numerous tendons.
"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," he said. He won't be able to use the injured foot for up to eight weeks.
"Reece really made the difference. 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," he said.
Neither plans on giving up on surfing after the shark attack. "I think I can do it," said Redish. "I know I can. When Chris is better, I'll be surfing with him every day." Added Pospisil: "It hasn't changed anything. I'm definitely going to keep surfing. It's my lifestyle, and it's something I love to do."
