This is a nightmare.
According to WSVN-TV, 20-year-old Miami-Dade resident Kevin Blanco was out spearfishing with his buddies and was free diving off the coast of Marathon, Florida, when he nearly saw his life flash before his eyes…
And I mean he got attacked by a MASSIVE nine to 10-foot long bull shark, as it bit him on his thigh.
They were spearfishing about two miles offshore when the shark made its attack. He told the outlet:
“I’ve been in that same situation a lot of times, and they are usually afraid of us. That one was not afraid of us. He wanted me. It was a scary event.”
The shark bit him twice, leaving massive gashes in his thigh.
His buddy Danny Maduro was nearby, and he grabbed him by the armpits and helped him swim back up onto the boat.
Being skilled in these types of scenarios, Blanco knew to take his weight belt and use it as a tourniquet, as he tied it tight around his wounds.
Maduro told NBC 6 South Florida:
“I saw the shark open its mouth and bite down into his leg. And for a half second, I was in major shock, staring at him. And then I went into survival mode to help my friend.
I noticed he let out all his air, and he screamed. My first instinct was to drop everything I had and to help him get to the surface without blacking out.”
They then called 911 and drove their boat to shore, where Sheriff’s Deputies and Marathon Fire and Rescue helped treat Blanco.
They took him to the Seven Mile Bridge so the transport helicopter could safely pick him up.
The bull shark was estimated to have been moving at about 20 to 30 mph when it rammed into Blanco’s leg, where he described it as getting “hit by an F-150.”
Thankfully enough, in part to his friend’s fast actions and work by first responders, along with the fact the shark didn’t reach any major arteries or blood vessels, Blanco will be able to make a full recovery in the hospital, and should be out later this week.
Needless to say, the situation could’ve been much worse.
