Florida Surfer Recovering After Being Attacked by Shark in 'Shark Bite Capital of the World'
Matthew Bender told a local news outlet that it felt like "electricity" running through his body when the shark attacked him at New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County
"I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere," recalled the surfer, who still plans to return to the waterA Florida man has been hospitalized after he was attacked by a shark in what is known as the "shark bite capital of the world."
Matthew Bender, of Winter Park, was bitten by a shark on Sunday, July 6 while surfing at New Smyrna Beach, according to FOX affiliate WOFL.
Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue said the 40-year-old was bitten around 3 p.m. local time, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel and NBC affiliate WESH.
Bender told WOFL he 'never saw the shark,' which bit his left arm 'forcefully,' leaving it severely injured from his thumb to his elbow. He said the bite 'felt like electricity.'
"I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere. By the time I looked down, it was already gone,' Bender recalled. He thought the shark 'shook its head' before letting go, adding, 'It was also fast."
Nearby surfers and lifeguards rushed to Bender's aid, according to the surfer. He said one of the surfers used a surfboard leash to create a tourniquet.
The surfer was transported to a hospital after the bite, according to WESH and the Sun Sentinel.
Bender said he underwent emergency surgery to repair muscles, tendons, and nerves that were injured in the attack, WOFL reported. He said, "It's a miracle my hand is still working fine."
"I think the Lord kept it from being serious. I mean, he works in mysterious ways,' the surfer told the news outlet.
But Bender does not plan to let the shark attack stop him from getting back out in the water.
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'For some reason, I got to take a little break, but I'll be back out there," he told WOFL. "I'm a New Smyrna surfer at heart, and it's not going to end now just because of this."
Volusia County officials did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Volusia County is considered the unofficial 'shark bite capital of the world,' according to the International Shark Attack File in Gainesville.
There were eight shark bites reported in the county in 2024, more than half of the 14 reported in Florida that same year, according to statistics.
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