大象传媒

Dr. Colin Shadforth a retired GP from Ruswarp near Whitby was on holiday in the Bonita Springs resort in Florida where the attack happened. He suffered 30 bites and needed 200 stitches.

"I was doing my usual morning swim, enjoying it, and then something grabbed me by the right leg, and the pain was something out of this world.

"It clamped down on me and wouldn't let go.

"I gave one heck of a kick, and tried to get out of the water.

"I was kicking and kicking. I gave one last big kick with all my might and it worked. I moved towards the shore and yelled for help."

鈥淔ortunately my friends Fritz and Rosemarie Hofmann heard my shouts and helped to drag me from the water.

鈥淓ventually I was taken to the Lee Memorial Hospital for treatment.

鈥淭here was a delay because so many people wanted to see the shark bite for themselves.

鈥淓xperts can鈥檛 decide which type of shark it was.听 They say the five-foot shark may have been a sandbar shark, a small sharpnose or blacktip shark.

鈥淚t took a few months for my leg to heal. A year after the attack I returned to Florida and went swimming again in the same area.鈥�