In a sudden and frightening encounter off the shores of Key West, spearfisherman Jose Abreu was attacked by an 8-foot bull shark. According to WSVN-TV, Abreu described the shark as "too fast, he's too fast," and believed that it was the end for him. Struck by the swiftness of the attack, Abreu's only recourse was an attempt to escape the numerous bites on his leg and shoulder.
The incident, which Abreu recalls lasted a mere 13 seconds, could have taken a turn for the worse if not for his friend's intervention. Swiftly responding to the situation, the friend confronted the shark and jabbed it in the mouth with a speargun, a move that sent the predator away and allowed them to call for help. Abreu, after being attended to, told WTVJ-TV, "You don’t have time to be scared. Only you need to escape the shark. It’s the only option."
This event adds to the current year's tally of shark encounters. NBC Miami reports that there have been 40 shark attacks worldwide this year, with 10 of those occurring in Florida. Authorities are not, however, convinced this indicates a significant increase in shark-related incidents. Experts from the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science have indicated that this year's figures are not expected to rise above the norm.
As of Wednesday, he still remains in the hospital for recovery. Heeding his own experience, "Only you need to escape the shark. It’s the only option,” Jose Angel Hernandez expressed during an interview on Monday. Volusia County has also seen its share of shark activity, with four encounters recorded in just one week around the July 4th holiday season.
