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.
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.
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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.
Robert said the attack left the man’s lower leg ‘pretty much in shreds’.
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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.”
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.
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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.
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