Story at a glance
- Doyle Nielsen, 16, was on vacation and surfing at New Smyrna Beach, Fla., last week.
- Nielsen was paddling out when a shark breached the surface on his right side and bit his arm.
- A local photographer was snapping photos and filming the surfers and waves in the aftermath of Hurricane Larry when he caught the incident on video.
A photographer inadvertently caught the moment a teenage surfer was bitten by a shark in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., last week.
Doyle Nielsen, 16, was on vacation and paddling out when a shark breached the surface on Nielsen’s right side and bit his arm.
“It felt like someone on their surfboard had come full speed directly at me and hit me super hard,” Nielsen told “Good Morning America.” “And then after somebody had yelled, ‘There’s a shark, get out of there,’ I realized what it was.”
America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.
Nielsen quickly paddled to shore and could be seen showing a fellow surfer his arm as he emerged from the water.
Local photographer Sam Scribner had been snapping photos and filming the surfers and waves in the aftermath of Hurricane Larry when he caught the footage. Scribner later posted it to his Instagram, hoping to identify and locate Nielsen.
“I sincerely hope that the kid is not too scarred from the chomp & he’s able to get back in the water as soon as possible,” Scribner wrote.
Nielsen suffered minor lacerations to his right arm but is expected to make a full recovery.
New Smyrna Beach is referred to as the “shark bite capital of the world” due to the number of shark bites that occur there, however, a majority are not life-threatening.
READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA
‘JACKASS’ STAR BITTEN BY SHARK WHILE FILMING ‘SHARK WEEK’ STUNT
YOUNG GIRL BITTEN BY SHARK IN NORTH CAROLINA
SURFER SURVIVES GREAT WHITE SHARK ATTACK NEAR SAN FRANCISCO
SHARK SIGHTINGS AND ATTACKS UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST
SHARKS USE EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD AS ‘INTERNAL GPS’ FOR MIGRATION
changing america copyright.
