A 40-year-old spear fisherman sustained severe injuries to both arms after being attacked by a 300-pound bull shark near Pensacola, Florida. The incident occurred on Tuesday as the man and his friends were concluding their final dive of the day, approximately 30 miles off the Emerald Coast.
Boat captain Jacob Johnson described the attack, stating that he heard his friend call for help in a calm manner, which initially made him believe it was a joke. However, upon looking over the side of the boat, Johnson saw the water covered in blood and immediately jumped in to assist. The victim's forearms were so severely bitten that he was unable to pull himself onto the boat.
Johnson and the other divers reacted quickly, using a shirt as a tourniquet and applying wound sealant to control the bleeding. Johnson recalled telling the victim, "You're not bleeding out on my watch." The group kept the injured man calm while awaiting the Coast Guard, which transported him to shore. From there, he was airlifted to a hospital.
One of the diver's arms sustained an arterial injury, while the other required numerous stitches. A GoFundMe page established for the fisherman indicates he is unable to work and anticipates a recovery period of several months. Johnson confirmed that his friend has undergone surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.
Johnson noted that the area was teeming with marine life on the day of the attack, and that a bull shark had previously bitten his spear gun during an earlier dive. While no injuries occurred during those prior encounters, he described an "eerie feeling" during the dives.
According to Shark Data Lab, Florida has recorded 1,186 shark attacks between 1780 and 2026, with 44 of those being fatal. Bull sharks have been the species most frequently involved in these attacks. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission states that bull sharks can grow up to 11 feet long and live for over 30 years. Experts consider them to be highly aggressive and responsible for numerous unprovoked attacks on humans worldwide, ranking third in the number of attacks on people.