HAULOVER BEACH, FL (WPLG/CNN) – A beach-goer is recovering after he was bitten by a shark Sunday in Florida.
Lifeguards at Haulover Beach became aware of a shark lurking in the water and began alerting swimmers by blowing their whistles and gesturing for them to get out of the water.
"I just got to the beach. I was going to jump into the water, and I heard all the whistles trying to get everyone out of the water,” witness Donovan Cecil said.
Some people swam back to shore while others were apparently scared stiff of the unusual sight.
Cecil recorded the incident on his cell phone.
"When it came closer, you could see there was a pretty big shark in the water,” he said.
Before everyone could clear the water, the shark attacked.
"It started getting closer to the people on the sandbar, and they tried to get out. One guy, it went straight towards him and bit his leg, pulled him and gave him a little tug. I was freaking out,” Cecil said.
The male victim sustained serious gashes on both of his legs. He was treated on scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and is expected to make a full recovery.
Experts believe the shark was a 4- to 5-foot bull shark, a type of shark that can grow to nearly 300 pounds, but attacks against humans usually don’t happen.
"It's extremely rare. This is the first shark attack in Miami-Dade County that I've been aware of after 20 years in ocean rescue,” said Lt. Matthew Sparling with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
The bull shark eventually disappeared at sea, and Haulover Beach and the surrounding areas were ultimately declared safe.
"It could've been a lot worse,” Cecil said.
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