Latest news with #MattBender
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Surfer nearly loses his arm after shark attack in Florida
A Florida surfer almost lost his arm after a shark attack at New Smyrna Beach. 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 at around 3pm on Sunday when he was mauled by the shark. The video 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. 'I never saw the shark, but it bit really forcefully. It felt like electricity.' Bender was rushed to a nearby hospital and is now in recovery, his friends said. Despite the gruesome photos of his savaged arm, his friends shut down rumors that his hand had been completely bitten off. They shared on Facebook: 'Our good friend and fellow waterman Matt Bender was bit by a shark today while surfing in New Smyrna. 'Contrary to what's said in this video clip that's circulating, his hand was not bitten off - he's doing good considering, but he was injured and needs our support and prayers right now.' 'Matt is a strong, godly man and part of our surf family - so we're asking all our Raw Surf friends and fans to lift him up in prayer tonight. Let's cover him in love and healing energy as he begins to recover.' In July 2024, New Smyrna Beach was named America's deadliest beach - mainly due to hurricane fatalities - and has also been dubbed the 'shark bite capital' of the world.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Surfer recalls shark attack: 'It felt like a bear trap'
A man who was attacked by a shark while surfing at a Florida beach known as the "shark bite capital of the world" is sharing the harrowing details of his survival. "Just, like, a lightning strike -- the shark came out of nowhere," Matt Bender told ABC News from his hospital bed on Sunday, describing the attack. "I just felt it chomp down on my arm. It felt like a bear trap." He added that the shark's bite "shredded my arm," but it "immediately let go, and it was gone in a flash." The 40-year-old avid surfer from Winter Park knows the waters off New Smyrna Beach well and was in just 5 feet of water when the attack occurred. Bender said in the aftermath of the attack, he used his leash as a tourniquet, got on his belly, and used his surfboard like a boogie board to get back to shore safely before flagging down a young girl and her dad for help. "I was yelling 'help.' They saw the blood. They reacted well. I wasn't freaking out. And I think that was a huge blessing," he recalled. Lifeguards and paramedics treated Bender there on the sand before he was taken to a hospital in Daytona Beach, where he underwent surgery on his arm. "Apparently, they had to repair a lot of stuff. It was a pretty long surgery, but I can move my hand, and it looks like a good prognosis, so I'm very pleased, and I feel very blessed," Bender said. New Smyrna Beach, located in Volusia County, reported eight shark bites last year and has seen more than 300 unprovoked shark encounters since the 1880s. Experts say the area's combination of bait fish and consistent surf breaks creates ideal and sometimes dangerous conditions for both sharks and surfers. Despite the close call, Bender said he hopes to be back in the water in a couple of months. "It just comes with the territory. I'm very fortunate that it wasn't worse," he said. "It's sad, because it is dangerous, but it's just the place to surf if you're in Florida and you want to surf." Bender said he has seen multiple sharks there while surfing, but he still goes because it has the best waves in the state. "I've seen great whites out there, believe it or not -- I saw one eat a sting ray right in front of me," Bender said. "You don't really think about them in Florida, but we have every species out there apparently. I've seen great hammerheads that are 15-feet long." Bender's shark encounter comes amid a string of shark sightings across the country: Recent sightings in New York caused alarm over the holiday weekend and forced multiple closures at Rockaway Beach.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Surfer recalls shark attack: 'It felt like a bear trap'
A man who was attacked by a shark while surfing at a Florida beach known as the "shark bite capital of the world" is sharing the harrowing details of his survival. "Just, like, a lightning strike -- the shark came out of nowhere," Matt Bender told ABC News from his hospital bed on Sunday, describing the attack. "I just felt it chomp down on my arm. It felt like a bear trap." He added that the shark's bite "shredded my arm," but it "immediately let go, and it was gone in a flash." The 40-year-old avid surfer from Winter Park knows the waters off New Smyrna Beach well and was in just 5 feet of water when the attack occurred. Bender said in the aftermath of the attack, he used his leash as a tourniquet, got on his belly, and used his surfboard like a boogie board to get back to shore safely before flagging down a young girl and her dad for help. "I was yelling 'help.' They saw the blood. They reacted well. I wasn't freaking out. And I think that was a huge blessing," he recalled. Lifeguards and paramedics treated Bender there on the sand before he was taken to a hospital in Daytona Beach, where he underwent surgery on his arm. "Apparently, they had to repair a lot of stuff. It was a pretty long surgery, but I can move my hand, and it looks like a good prognosis, so I'm very pleased, and I feel very blessed," Bender said. New Smyrna Beach, located in Volusia County, reported eight shark bites last year and has seen more than 300 unprovoked shark encounters since the 1880s. Experts say the area's combination of bait fish and consistent surf breaks creates ideal and sometimes dangerous conditions for both sharks and surfers. Despite the close call, Bender said he hopes to be back in the water in a couple of months. "It just comes with the territory. I'm very fortunate that it wasn't worse," he said. "It's sad, because it is dangerous, but it's just the place to surf if you're in Florida and you want to surf." Bender said he has seen multiple sharks there while surfing, but he still goes because it has the best waves in the state. "I've seen great whites out there, believe it or not -- I saw one eat a sting ray right in front of me," Bender said. "You don't really think about them in Florida, but we have every species out there apparently. I've seen great hammerheads that are 15-feet long." Bender's shark encounter comes amid a string of shark sightings across the country: Recent sightings in New York caused alarm over the holiday weekend and forced multiple closures at Rockaway Beach.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Shark Mauls Surfer 'Like a Bear Trap' in Florida (Video)
Over the holiday weekend, avid surfer Matt Bender was in the water at New Smyrna Beach in Florida when, out of nowhere, a shark latched onto his arm and aggressively attacked him. It's no huge surprise, since NSB is commonly known as the 'shark attack capital of the world,' but still, this wasn't just your average nip. Bender's arm got totally mangled. Good news is: Bender, who is 40 years old, is on the road to recovery. Speaking from his hospital bed, Bender told the tale of what happened. Hear all about it below. 'Just like a lightning strike, the shark came out of nowhere,' Bender recounted. 'I just felt it chomp down on my arm. It felt like a bear trap. Unfortunately, it shredded my arm. It immediately let go, and was gone in a flash.' It was believed that the shark responsible was a bull shark. Bender acted quickly, getting to shore and using his leash as a tourniquet to quell the bleeding, then flagging down others to come help. From there, it was to the it's not the first time that Bender's encountered sharks while surfing NSB. 'I've sen great whites out there,' he said. 'Believe it or not, I've seen one eat a stingray in front of me. You don't really think about them in Florida, but we have every species out there apparently. I've seen great hammerheads that are 15 feet long.' Florida (and Volusia County where New Smyrna Beach is) consistently rank high when it comes to annual shark attacks. According to the International Shark Attack File's report from last year: 'With warm waters and ample shoreline, Florida had a total of 14 bites, more than any other state. Of these, eight occurred in Volusia County, which bears the unofficial title of shark bite capital of the world. Though unconfirmed, many of these bites were likely from blacktip sharks, whose breeding grounds stretch along the northeast Florida coastline. Many of the sharks in this area are juveniles and haven't yet fully developed the ability to distinguish between humans and their natural prey, which includes fish, stingrays and other sharks.' As for Bender, he's undergone surgery and as soon as he can, he's going back out Mauls Surfer 'Like a Bear Trap' in Florida (Video) first appeared on Surfer on Jul 8, 2025
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Horror moments after Florida surfer takes to waters in 'shark bite capital of the world'
A Florida surfer almost lost his arm moments entering the water in the 'shark bite capital of the world' after he was attacked by one of the beasts. 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 around 3pm on Sunday 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. 'I never saw the shark, but it bit really forcefully. It felt like electricity.' Bender was rushed to a nearby hospital and is now in recovery, his friends said. Despite the gruesome photos of his savaged arm, his friends dispelled rumors circulating on social media claiming his hand had been completely bitten off. 'Our good friend and fellow waterman @Matt_Bender was bit by a shark today while surfing in New Smyrna,' they shared on Facebook. 'Contrary to what's said in THIS video clip that's circulating, his hand was NOT bitten off – he's doing good considering, but he was injured and needs our support and prayers right now.' 'Matt is a strong, godly man and part of our surf family - so we're asking all our Raw Surf friends and fans to lift him up in prayer tonight. Let's cover him in love and healing energy as he begins to recover,' the post continued. 'Stay safe out there, y'all. NSB has always had its share of shark encounters, and today was a heavy reminder.' Despite the traumatic incident, Bender said he will be back out in the waters as soon as he recovers. 'For some reason, I got to take a little break, but I'll be back out there,' he said. In July 2024, New Smyrna Beach was named America's deadliest beach. The Florida beach beat nine others to win the undesirable crown, with researchers at California-based Simmrin Law using three main factors to determine the result: hurricanes, surf zone fatalities and shark attacks. Experts warned that the coastline's popularity among surfers and a lack of visibility can make visitors extremely vulnerable. Officials in New Smyrna recorded nearly 400 beach rescues in just a matter of days due to high rip currents and crowds that year. The beauty spot has also been dubbed 'shark bite capital' of the world. There have been a shocking three attacks since July 4, 2024, alone - and a separate incident at nearby Daytona Beach where a 14-year-old boy visiting from Missouri was bitten on his foot. Yet despite this, the beach's most fatal danger is reportedly hurricanes. 'While shark attacks often grab headlines, Florida's beaches rank so high due to the ever-present hurricane risk,' explained lawyer Michael Simmrin. Just last month, a seasoned surfer off the Florida coast was abruptly knocked off his board when a shark suddenly launched out of the ocean, and struck him in the head. Darren Kaye, 51, of Winter Park, was surfing off the coast of New Smyrna Beach, 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.'
