Florida surfer filmed being headbutted by airborne SHARK while trying to catch a wave
Darren Kaye, 51, of Winter Park, was surfing off the coast of New Smyrna Beach - an inlet northeast of Orlando - earlier this month, staying alert after spotting sharks near the shore and witnessing several recent attacks at the popular surf spot, WFTV 9 News reported.
Though he kept a close eye on the water, Kaye never thought to look to the air - until, in a split second, a spinner shark burst out from underneath the surface and headbutted him off his board.
'I have a scar on the side of my elbow from being hit by a car and that's what it felt like,' Kaye told WFTV.
'It felt like getting hit by a car. It was really strong and powerful,' he added. 'They're all muscle, you know.'
Early on the evening of June 20, Kaye was sitting on his surfboard, gently bobbing with the waves at the popular surf spot that has been nicknamed the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World,' according to visit New Smyrna Beach.
While paddling into the waves on a board commonly known as a 'fish,' something bizarre happened.
In a wild moment caught on camera, a spinner shark - named for its signature spinning leaps during feeding - suddenly erupted from the water in front of Kaye.
'Kind of ironic, right?' Kaye told WFTV. 'So you're riding a fish, and the shark tries to get your fish.'
Though the shark missed its prey during its unexpected leap into surfer-filled waters, it didn't miss Kaye - slamming into his head mid-air and sending him crashing off his board.
'I was just really happy its mouth wasn't open,' he told the outlet, noting that spinner sharks are known for ejecting out of the ocean while hunting for fish.
In the moment, Kaye had no idea what had struck him as the sharp-toothed sea creature hurled him into the choppy waters of the Sunshine State.
'I got right back on that board and my pulse went to like 195 beats a minute in a second, and I paddled as fast as I could to get out of the way,' Kaye told WFTV.
Kaye explained that the force he felt was eerily similar to a car accident - an experience he knew all too well, with a scar on his elbow as a lasting reminder.
Thankfully, despite weighing over 120 pounds, spinner sharks aren't known for delivering serious or powerful bites during attacks.
He did feel a sudden headache, but was relieved when he realized the damage was minimal.
He promptly jumped back on his board to catch another wave.
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'We surfed there the rest of the weekend, we surfed there this morning, we surfed there yesterday afternoon,' Kaye told WFTV.
'We always have waves,' he added. 'We are lucky.'
In Florida - particularly at New Smyrna Beach - not only are spinner sharks common, but bull sharks, one of the most dangerous species to humans, are also frequently observed.
Earlier this month, a summer vacation took a turn for the worse when a mommy influencer's young daughter was attacked by a shark in the Sunshine State - leaving her without her right hand.
Leah Lendel, 9, was snorkeling near the shore of Boca Grande with her mother and siblings around noon on June 11 when she was bitten by a shark.
Bystanders said an eight-foot bull shark managed to bite off the girl's right hand and part of her wrist. She emerged from the water on her own, completely covered in blood.
With the help of nearby construction workers, the family called 911 and created a tourniquet out of a beach towel to stop the bleeding.
The little girl and her father were airlifted to Tampa - 100 miles away from the beach - where she was admitted for emergency surgery in the hopes of reattaching her hand.
In an update to Gulf Coast News Now earlier this month, Lendel's mother said: 'They had to get arteries from her leg to the hand. Got the blood flow back to her hand. Install pins in bones. Still has open tissues.
'They will be monitoring her here for a week,' she added. 'But thank God she can move her fingers.'
On June 12, Lendel's uncle also offered NBC News further details on the nine-year-old girl's condition: 'The doctors were able to do some miracles and put her hand back together.'
'She will be in the hospital for a while and then a lot of physical therapy to hopefully get her hand functioning again,' he added.
Now that summer is in full swing - meaning shark attack season is underway - beachgoers and surfers alike should exercise extra caution along the East Coast.
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