A surfer bitten by a shark from the US city of Seaside, Oregon received a serious leg injury, but vowed to return to the water after he recovered, reports NBC New.
On Sunday, December 6, 20-year-old Cole Herrington was surfing when he was attacked by a shark. “I sat on my board and waited for a wave, and the next thing I remember was a hard blow. I turned around and grabbed my board. I knew I was bitten. I don’t remember what happened next,” he said.
Other surfers who witnessed the incident helped Herrington to get to the shore, put a tourniquet on his injured leg and called rescuers. On the same evening, the young man underwent surgery.
“I was told that a shark crept up behind me, so I did not see it. It bit me and lifted me above the water, then released it from its jaws and threw it down,” said Herrington. He noted that he did not feel pain at the moment of the attack.
“When you realize that a shark attacked you, you just pray and ask that it does not come back to bite you again. You want to get out of the water onto the rocks. And when you get out, you feel pain and want to stop the bleeding.” – he explained.
The victim is now at the Portland Children’s Hospital. Due to the injury, he will have to postpone plans to begin training as an electrician next month. However, the American noted that nothing can break his love of surfing.
“Surfing is the only thing I really care about in my life. As soon as my health is restored, I will return to the water, and everyone supports my desire,” he stressed.
Surfer’s mother Amy Powell thanked everyone who helped her son. She created a fundraising page for his treatment and recovery.
Sharks rarely attack humans off the Oregon coast. Since 1837, only 28 such cases have been recorded.