Accomplished Teen Surfer Endures Brutal Shark Attack in Florida

Champion surfer, Teddy Wittemann, almost lost his arm to a shark last week while on an outing. Here's how the alarming events unfolded.

Surfer riding the waves / Unsplash

16-year-old, Teddy Wittemann, was out surfing in Florida when the unexpected happened. As he reached out for his surfboard, a shark between 5 and 6 feet long grabbed onto his left arm.

After the incident, the young man told Florida Today, "I was paddling in and I was screaming help. I was looking at my arm, freaking out, but trying to do the right thing. Another thought going through my head was, 'I'm bleeding out.' I'm using this bloody arm to paddle in. What if another shark comes?"

Fortunately, a fast-acting couple on the beach heard the commotion and sprang into action. According to Florida Today, Dave and Toie Crespi darted over to Wittemann. Toie dialed 911 while Dave removed his shirt to place pressure on the teenager's mauled arm.

Wittemann was able to gather the strength to make a call to his mother from a friend's phone. He explained to his mom that he had been bitten and needed to go to the hospital. Both of his parents promptly arrived.

After the paramedics treated Wittemann, they drove him to the nearby hospital, Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Florida. At this time, he is recovering well and the family reported that, luckily, there wasn't any major damage.

On October 14, Wittemann wrote on his Instagram page, "Super thankful to all the first responders that were able to be there for me during all this. Also, thanks for all the love from everyone these past couple days." When he is recovered and medically cleared in weeks to come, he plans to grab his surfboard and hit the waves.

Wittemann is a talented young surfer who competes on the USA Junior U16 Boys Team. He has won numerous competitions and is hoping to continue furthering his surfing career when he returns to the water. Until then, he will be recovering in his white cast as his 30 stitches heal. With his optimism and persistence, Wittemann will be back in the water in no time.