What started as an adrenaline-filled shark adventure quickly turned into a chilling nightmare for local Florida fisherman, Shawn Meuse.ย
Meuse went shark fishing with his friends in Boca Grande when he got bitten. In a video shared on X, he could be seen holding open the six-foot-long lemon sharkโs mouth while posing for a picture.ย
Meuseโs friend grabbed the sharkโs tail, attempted to lift it for the pictures. However, the beast immediately reacted and began to swing around violently, throwing the victim to the ground and biting his leg in the process.ย
The victimโs friend still tried to go after the shark, but his counterparts could be heard shouting, โWe gotta go!โ Meanwhile, the victim could be seen sitting on the ground with blood pouring out of the wound.ย The group of men immediately abandoned their thrill-seeking adventure and called for help. The caller reported that they put a tourniquet on the affected leg and used a towel to try and stop the bleeding.ย
Meuse and his friends had just taken the hook out of the sharkโs mouth when the incident happened. They planned to take pictures with their catch and release it back into the water when the victim got bitten.ย According to Boca Grande fire chief C. W. Blosser, first responders got the call shortly before 11 p.m. They airlifted Meuse to Gulf Coast Medical Center, in Lee County, where he is undergoing treatment.ย
Speaking on the incident, Blosser warned that seeing sharks around that area is a common occurrence during tarpon season. He further urged people to be cautious when โplaying with Mother Nature.โ
Despite being in pain, the victim is already looking forward to his next shark adventure. โIโd go back today if I could leave the hospital. Itโs, you know, itโs unfortunate, but itโs something that happensโฆ,โ he said to WINK News. He also had an unexpected message for the shark: โSee you next time.โย
The video of the incident went viral on social media, and multiple users blamed the victim for what happened. One user wrote, โF*cked with the shark and found out,โ and another penned, โThat is the dumbest guy I have seen today. And no surprise heโs American.โย
One user blamed Meuseโs friend for provoking the shark by grabbing its tail. โHis friend owes him for life for provoking it by messing with the tail while he was holding it ๐คฆ๐ผโโ๏ธ,โ the user commented.
โIf you want to get bitten by a shark, thatโs one way of doing it,โ a user added.ย One person quipped, โShark got the last calf,โ and another hilariously added, โFAFO shark edition.โ
Despite the severity of the wound, the victimโs injuries were not life-threatening and he is expected to make a full recovery.
