Surf instructor, 18, describes exactly how it felt to be attacked by shark that tried to eat him
Sam Hollis, 18, was surfing on Friday off the coast of New Smyrna Beach, a Florida beach infamous for its frequent shark bites, when he says the predator suddenly latched onto his foot and dragged him about 10 to 15 feet.
Graphic images revealed the extent of his gruesome injuries from his hospital bed as he recovers.
The young surfer, who started when he was just a kid and is now working as a surf instructor, will undergo surgery after the terrifying encounter but is expected to make a full recovery.
He described to Fox35 the feeling of when he was first bit by the shark that 'came out of nowhere.'
Hollis said it felt hot when the shark first clamped down on his foot, like a dog with a toy in his mouth.
'It felt clamped and then it kind of felt hot because of the teeth,' Hollis told the outlet from his hospital bed.
'And then it just kind of started pulling. It's almost like, um, a dog with a toy in its mouth going like, you know, like that.'
Sam Hollis, 18, (pictured) was surfing on Friday off the coast of New Smyrna Beach, a Florida beach infamous for its frequent shark bites, when he says a shark suddenly latched onto his foot and dragged him about 10 to 15 feet
Graphic images reveal the extent of his gruesome injuries from his hospital bed as he recovers
'I was kicking at it after I realized it had me in its mouth. I was like, 'Yeah, get this thing away from me' he added.
Earlier this month, a Florida surfer almost lost his arm moments entering the water in the same beach after he was attacked by a shark.
Dramatic video captured the moment Matt Bender, 40, of Orlando, was bandaged up as blood gushed from his limb.
The surfer was riding the waves in the afternoon when he was mauled by the shark in New Smyrna Beach.
The video, shared by Instagram user @theother_mazdagirl, shows the chaotic moments after the attack as beachgoers rushed to help.
Blood can be seen on Bender's arm as his hand appears to be hanging on by a string as a fellow surfers wrap it in towels and attempt to calm him down.
'I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere,' he told Fox affiliate WOFL–TV.
He said it felt like 'electricity' when the shark bit into his right forearm.
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