A man was left with his leg ‘shredded’ following a suspected shark attack at a beach in Florida. You can see footage of sharks spotted at a nearby Florida beach here:
Beachgoer Robert Alexander said he heard people screaming while off the popular coastline in Jacksonville, Florida, US, on 30 July and claims to have spotted the shadow of a 7ft-long ‘shark-like figure’ in the water.
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Other eyewitnesses said that although they didn’t see a shark, they saw a man struggling in the water and waving his hand for help, followed by blood spreading into the sea.
Robert says he was able to grab hold of the man and get him to safety.
Speaking to News4JAX, he said: 'I started splashing, making a lot of loud noises and next thing I know it was kind of tunnel vision, and I grabbed him, put him on his boogie board."
Once back on land, several lifeguards and an off-duty nurse rushed over to the injured man to offer assistance.
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Robert said the attack left the man’s lower leg ‘pretty much in shreds’.
He said: “His foot was dangling as we were carrying him to shore.
“You could tell he had no movement in his foot and I kept telling him to keep eye contact with me.”
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Kevin Mackey, lifeguard lieutenant with Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue, also responded to the incident and has considered the injury a possible 'shark bite'.
He told the news outlet: “I was directing lifeguards. I told them to apply pressure to the wound. We took his vital signs."
It’s reported the man, not named, is still being treated at hospital for his 'severe' injuries.
Now footage shot at nearby Neptune Beach has emerged, showing two sharks only a few feet away from swimmers in shallow waters – as they’re told to evacuate the scene.
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In the clip, four beach-goers can be seen standing in the sea, as two men are ushered to shore by a yellow lifeguard float.
As the clip cuts, two shark fins are shown at the edge of the coastline, before someone shouts: “Get out of the water."
Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue Officer Maxwell Ervanian said he and his crew only get called out to one or two 'possible shark bites'.
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Ervanian urged Florida beach-goers to use 'situational awareness' anytime they are out in water so they spot any potential threats.
Claire Reid