Latest news with #surfinstructor
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Teen Vows to Keep Surfing After Being Attacked by Shark in 'Shark Bite Capital of the World'
"There's no reason to stop doing something you love just 'cause something bad happened to you," said Sam Hollis A teenager who was attacked by a shark earlier this month isn't going to let that deter him from getting back into the water. Sam Hollis, an 18-year-old surf instructor, according to local NBC affiliate WESH — was in the middle of giving a lesson at New Smyrna Beach, known as the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World," when he was attacked while sitting on his board with his feet dangling in the water. "[The shark] just grabbed me by my foot and yanked me off my board, and was like, 'Yeah I'm going to have you for a little snack, man,' " Hollis told the outlet in an interview from his hospital bed. "I was having none of that, so I kicked it." The kick was enough to make the shark flee, but first it sunk its teeth into the teen's foot. Fortunately, Hollis was able to swim away and get help on shore, where he was then taken to the hospital. Hollis told the outlet that although he'll still need to use crutches or some other mobility aid for a while once he's out of the hospital, he's already thinking about getting back on his board. "There's no reason to stop doing something you love just 'cause something bad happened to you," he said. "That's the first thing I want to get back to doing, because I think it's important to not let something like this dictate doing things you love." is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! According to Volusia County, where New Smyrna Beach is located, Hollis' attack marked the fourth shark attack this year — and there have been 359 'unprovoked' shark attacks recorded in the county since 1882, the most of any Florida county, according to the International Shark Attack File, the Florida Museum of Natural History's database. Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Surf instructor, 18, describes exactly how it felt to be attacked by shark that tried to eat him
A teen surf instructor has revealed exactly how it felt to be attacked by a shark that tried to eat him in waters known as the 'shark bite capital of the world.' 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.
CBS News
21-07-2025
- CBS News
Surf instructor yanked off board, bitten by shark off Florida beach
An 18-year-old surf instructor was rushed to the hospital on Friday after he was attacked by a shark at a Florida beach. Sam Hollis said he was bitten on his foot while surfing off New Smyrna Beach, about 60 miles northeast of Orlando. He told NBC affiliate WESH about his frightening experience. Hollis said he was instructing when a big wave washed over him. He said he got back on his board, letting his feet hang in the water, when he was attacked. "It just grabbed me by my foot and just yanked me off my board and was like, yeah, I'm having you for a little snack man. And then I was like having none of that so I kicked it." Hollis said. Hollis said the kick knocked the shark away from his body, and he was able to swim away. He was taken to the hospital where he was treated for bite marks on his foot. "So this is what it feels like. I was like, this is what feeling attacked by a shark feels like," he said. Hollis said he's been around the water since he was a little kid and knows the risks that come with surfing. "There's no reason to stop doing something you love just because something bad happened to you," he said. He said as soon as he recovers, he'll be back out on the water. "That's the first thing I want, to get back out to doing because I think it's important to not let something like this dictate doing things that you love," Hollis said. This is the third reported shark encounter off the coast of New Smyrna Beach in just over a month. A surfer said an airborne spinner shark knocked him off his board in June. In July, another surfer was bitten on the arm by a shark, saying he "felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere." New Smyrna Beach is known as the "Shark Bite Capital of the World." It's been the site of more than 300 shark attacks since the 1980s, according to the International Shark Attack File in Gainesville.
