Latest news with #MatthewBender
New York Post
7 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Shark bites beach fisherman who dragged thrashing predator back to water after catch
A fisherman in a wealthy beach vacation hot spot became the object of nature's wrath while wrestling with a shark he caught during the July Fourth weekend. A 21-year-old man in Nantucket caught a common sandbar shark on Sunday and reeled it onto shore, according to the Nantucket Current. Advertisement When he attempted to return the shark to the ocean, it bit him on the leg, causing a serious injury. The unnamed victim was driven by friends to a local hospital, and later flown by Boston Medflight helicopter to a mainland hospital to be treated further for his injuries. As the summer beach season is in full effect nationwide, instances of shark bites are increasingly being reported. On the same day as the Nantucket incident, a 40-year-old surfer named Matthew Bender of Winter Park, Florida, was attacked by a shark in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Benton suffered a 10-inch bite that severed muscles, tendons and nerves, but survived the attack. Advertisement New Smyrna Beach is known as the 'shark bite capital' of the United States, according to 'Shark Week' host Forrest Galante, who recently spoke with Fox News Digital about summer safety tips for avoiding negative encounters with sharks. 3 A fisherman in Nantucket was bit by a shark during the July Fourth weekend. Chris – On June 11, a 9-year-old girl snorkeling off the coast of Boca Grande, Florida, on the state's Gulf Coast, sustained a gruesome shark bite that nearly severed her hand. Leah Lendel was rushed by helicopter to Tampa General Hospital, where she underwent a successful surgery involving artery grafts, bone reconstruction and nerve repair to save her hand. Advertisement Later in June, a beachgoer was injured in an attack on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, another popular tourist destination for summer getaways. 3 The victim was seriously injured when the shark bit him on the leg. Bokicbo – 3 New Smyrna Beach is known as the 'shark bite capital' of the US. Tropicalens – That incident 'involved a patient with a leg injury consistent with lacerations typically associated with a shark bite,' according to Hilton Head Fire Rescue. Advertisement Galante warned that the ocean is a shark's domain. 'Now, a lot of people fear them, and they see them as mindless killing machines, but the truth is, these are just animals that sit at the top of the food chain,' he said. 'And any time that we enter into the water, we're entering into their domain. So, when there is a shark attack or a shark bite, that is simply because we have gone into a habitat where we as human beings don't really belong, and we're not the apex predator.'
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Shark bites beach fisherman who dragged thrashing predator back to water after catch
A fisherman in a wealthy beach vacation hot spot became the object of nature's wrath while wrestling with a shark he caught during the July Fourth weekend. A 21-year-old man in Nantucket caught a common sandbar shark on Sunday and reeled it onto shore, according to the Nantucket Current. When he attempted to return the shark to the ocean, it bit him on the leg, causing a serious injury. The unnamed victim was driven by friends to a local hospital, and later flown by Boston Medflight helicopter to a mainland hospital to be treated further for his injuries. Florida Shark Attacks Surfer, Latched On 'Like A Bear Trap' In World's Bite Capital As the summer beach season is in full effect nationwide, instances of shark bites are increasingly being reported. On the same day as the Nantucket incident, a 40-year-old surfer named Matthew Bender of Winter Park, Florida, was attacked by a shark in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Benton suffered a 10-inch bite that severed muscles, tendons and nerves, but survived the attack. Read On The Fox News App New Smyrna Beach is known as the "shark bite capital" of the United States, according to "Shark Week" host Forrest Galante, who recently spoke with Fox News Digital about summer safety tips for avoiding negative encounters with sharks. 'Shark Week' Host Warns Beachgoers Where And When Predators Are Most Likely To Attack On June 11, a 9-year-old girl snorkeling off the coast of Boca Grande, Florida, on the state's Gulf Coast, sustained a gruesome shark bite that nearly severed her hand. Leah Lendel was rushed by helicopter to Tampa General Hospital, where she underwent a successful surgery involving artery grafts, bone reconstruction and nerve repair to save her hand. Later in June, a beachgoer was injured in an attack on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, another popular tourist destination for summer getaways. That incident "involved a patient with a leg injury consistent with lacerations typically associated with a shark bite," according to Hilton Head Fire Rescue. Galante warned that the ocean is a shark's domain. "Now, a lot of people fear them, and they see them as mindless killing machines, but the truth is, these are just animals that sit at the top of the food chain," he said. "And any time that we enter into the water, we're entering into their domain. So, when there is a shark attack or a shark bite, that is simply because we have gone into a habitat where we as human beings don't really belong, and we're not the apex predator." Fox News' Julia Bonavita contributed to this report. Original article source: Shark bites beach fisherman who dragged thrashing predator back to water after catch
Fox News
09-07-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Shark bites beach fisherman who dragged thrashing predator back to water after catch
A fisherman in a wealthy beach vacation hot spot became the object of nature's wrath while wrestling with a shark he caught during the July Fourth weekend. A 21-year-old man in Nantucket caught a common sandbar shark on Sunday and reeled it onto shore, according to the Nantucket Current. When he attempted to return the shark to the ocean, it bit him on the leg, causing a serious injury. The unnamed victim was driven by friends to a local hospital, and later flown by Boston Medflight helicopter to a mainland hospital to be treated further for his injuries. As the summer beach season is in full effect nationwide, instances of shark bites are increasingly being reported. On the same day as the Nantucket incident, a 40-year-old surfer named Matthew Bender of Winter Park, Florida, was attacked by a shark in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Benton suffered a 10-inch bite that severed muscles, tendons and nerves, but survived the attack. New Smyrna Beach is known as the "shark bite capital" of the United States, according to "Shark Week" host Forrest Galante, who recently spoke with Fox News Digital about summer safety tips for avoiding negative encounters with sharks. On June 11, a 9-year-old girl snorkeling off the coast of Boca Grande, Florida, on the state's Gulf Coast, sustained a gruesome shark bite that nearly severed her hand. Leah Lendel was rushed by helicopter to Tampa General Hospital, where she underwent a successful surgery involving artery grafts, bone reconstruction and nerve repair to save her hand. Later in June, a beachgoer was injured in an attack on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, another popular tourist destination for summer getaways. That incident "involved a patient with a leg injury consistent with lacerations typically associated with a shark bite," according to Hilton Head Fire Rescue. Galante warned that the ocean is a shark's domain. "Now, a lot of people fear them, and they see them as mindless killing machines, but the truth is, these are just animals that sit at the top of the food chain," he said. "And any time that we enter into the water, we're entering into their domain. So, when there is a shark attack or a shark bite, that is simply because we have gone into a habitat where we as human beings don't really belong, and we're not the apex predator."
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Florida Surfer Recovering After Being Attacked by Shark in 'Shark Bite Capital of the World'
A Florida surfer is recovering at a local hospital after his left arm was bitten by a shark on Sunday, July 6 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. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. '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. Read the original article on People
Fox News
08-07-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Florida shark attacks surfer, latched on ‘like a bear trap' in world's bite capital
A Florida surfer is vowing to return to the waves after being bitten by a shark in a county deemed "the shark bite capital of the world." Volusia County Beach Safety confirmed to Fox News Digital that Matthew Bender, 40, of Winter Park, Florida, was surfing at the popular but notoriously shark-prone waters of New Smyrna Beach on Sunday, July 6, when a shark latched onto his arm. "I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere," Bender told Fox News affiliate, WOFL-TV, from his hospital bed. "By the time I looked down, it was already gone. I never saw the shark, but it bit really forcefully. "It felt like electricity – pressure, extreme pressure – and then I think it shook its head as it let go. It was so fast," he said. Despite the severity of the bite, later measured at around 10 inches long, Bender was able to stay conscious and coherent. Fellow beachgoers rushed to his aid. Thinking quickly, Bender asked for a board leash, typically used to tether a surfer's ankle to their board, and they fashioned it into a makeshift tourniquet. "I was squeezing the whole mangled area myself with my left hand," he recalled to the outlet, as others pulled the tourniquet just above his elbow to stop the bleeding. Videos from the scene captured beachgoers surrounding Bender immediately following the attack. Lifeguards arrived moments later and transported Bender to the hospital, where doctors performed emergency surgery to reconnect severed muscles, tendons and nerves. Remarkably, he was able to move his fingers even before the surgery. "When I looked down, my arm was completely mangled," Bender said. "It's a miracle my hand was still working." The recovery ahead may be long, and the resulting scar will be permanent. "I don't know if it'll be the cool ones that chicks dig, but it might be ugly," he joked. The longtime surfer is eager to return to the waves, with doctors expecting Bender to make a full recovery within months. "I think the Lord kept it from being serious. He works in mysterious ways," Bender said. "I got to take a little break, but I'll be back out there. I'm a New Smyrna surfer at heart, and it's not going to end now just because of this." Authorities have not confirmed the type or size of the shark involved.
