Latest news with #NewSmyrnaBeach
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Surf instructor, 18, describes exactly how it felt to be attacked by shark that tried to eat him
A teen surf instructor has revealed exactly how it felt to be attacked by a shark that tried to eat him in waters known as the 'shark bite capital of the world.' Sam Hollis, 18, was surfing on Friday off the coast of New Smyrna Beach, a Florida beach infamous for its frequent shark bites, when he says the predator suddenly latched onto his foot and dragged him about 10 to 15 feet. Graphic images revealed the extent of his gruesome injuries from his hospital bed as he recovers. The young surfer, who started when he was just a kid and is now working as a surf instructor, will undergo surgery after the terrifying encounter but is expected to make a full recovery. He described to Fox35 the feeling of when he was first bit by the shark that 'came out of nowhere.' Hollis said it felt hot when the shark first clamped down on his foot, like a dog with a toy in his mouth. 'It felt clamped and then it kind of felt hot because of the teeth,' Hollis told the outlet from his hospital bed. 'And then it just kind of started pulling. It's almost like, um, a dog with a toy in its mouth going like, you know, like that.' Sam Hollis, 18, (pictured) was surfing on Friday off the coast of New Smyrna Beach, a Florida beach infamous for its frequent shark bites, when he says a shark suddenly latched onto his foot and dragged him about 10 to 15 feet Graphic images reveal the extent of his gruesome injuries from his hospital bed as he recovers 'I was kicking at it after I realized it had me in its mouth. I was like, 'Yeah, get this thing away from me' he added. Earlier this month, a Florida surfer almost lost his arm moments entering the water in the same beach after he was attacked by a shark. Dramatic video captured the moment Matt Bender, 40, of Orlando, was bandaged up as blood gushed from his limb. The surfer was riding the waves in the afternoon when he was mauled by the shark in New Smyrna Beach. The video, shared by Instagram user @theother_mazdagirl, shows the chaotic moments after the attack as beachgoers rushed to help. Blood can be seen on Bender's arm as his hand appears to be hanging on by a string as a fellow surfers wrap it in towels and attempt to calm him down. 'I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere,' he told Fox affiliate WOFL–TV. He said it felt like 'electricity' when the shark bit into his right forearm.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
'I didn't see it': Surfer bitten by shark in second attack at Florida beach this month
An 18-year-old surfer was bitten by a shark at New Smyrna Beach in Florida, marking the second such attack at the beach this month. The male victim sustained a shark bite on his foot while surfing on Friday, July 18, Aaron Jenkins, deputy chief of Volusia County Beach Safety, confirmed to USA TODAY. Sam Hollis, a surf instructor, told NBC's Today he was able to swim to safety after the sudden attack that happened "in the blink of an eye." "It just kind of felt like something clamping down really hard, and then it kind of felt hot, because the teeth obviously, you know, started to dig into my skin," Hollis told Today. "I didn't see it beforehand, I didn't hear it or anything. It just kind of yanked me," Hollis told the outlet. It marks the second shark attack this month at the beach, which is known as the self-proclaimed "Shark Bite Capital of the World," according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. On July 6, a 40-year-old man was bitten by a shark on his right forearm as he swam in the ocean, per the News-Journal. So far in 2025, four shark bites have been reported in Volusia County, Jenkins said. Surfer bitten by shark had non life-threatening injuries, officials say Around noon local time on July 18, an 18-year-old male surf camp instructor was paddling to a sandbar when he attempted to jump and push his board over a wave, according to a report of the incident. At that time, the shark bit his left foot, causing lacerations. The surfer kicked the shark on the nose to get it to release from his foot. He told officials he barely saw the shark but said it was large, according to the report. Lifeguards arrived on scene to treat the man, who was then transported to a hospital with "non life-threatening injuries," Jenkins said. Four shark bites in one Florida county this year, officials say Jenkins said the July 18 incident marks the fourth shark bite in Volusia County, Florida, so far this year. Most recently, a 40-year-old man was bitten on his arm at New Smyrna Beach on July 6. He sustained non life-threatening injuries, according to the News-Journal. Volusia County leads the nation in shark bites each year, though they are typically non-fatal, according to data from the International Shark Attack File. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Another shark attack at New Smyrna Beach, Florida: Surfer recovering
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Surf instructor yanked off board, bitten by shark off Florida beach
An 18-year-old surf instructor was rushed to the hospital on Friday after he was attacked by a shark at a Florida beach. Sam Hollis said he was bitten on his foot while surfing off New Smyrna Beach, about 60 miles northeast of Orlando. He told NBC affiliate WESH about his frightening experience. Hollis said he was instructing when a big wave washed over him. He said he got back on his board, letting his feet hang in the water, when he was attacked. "It just grabbed me by my foot and just yanked me off my board and was like, yeah, I'm having you for a little snack man. And then I was like having none of that so I kicked it." Hollis said. Hollis said the kick knocked the shark away from his body, and he was able to swim away. He was taken to the hospital where he was treated for bite marks on his foot. "So this is what it feels like. I was like, this is what feeling attacked by a shark feels like," he said. Hollis said he's been around the water since he was a little kid and knows the risks that come with surfing. "There's no reason to stop doing something you love just because something bad happened to you," he said. He said as soon as he recovers, he'll be back out on the water. "That's the first thing I want, to get back out to doing because I think it's important to not let something like this dictate doing things that you love," Hollis said. This is the third reported shark encounter off the coast of New Smyrna Beach in just over a month. A surfer said an airborne spinner shark knocked him off his board in June. In July, another surfer was bitten on the arm by a shark, saying he "felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere." New Smyrna Beach is known as the "Shark Bite Capital of the World." It's been the site of more than 300 shark attacks since the 1980s, according to the International Shark Attack File in Gainesville.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Shark Bites Teen Surfer in Florida…Fourth This Year (Video)
Right now, we're in the midst of the summer doldrums, about halfway through the year. And in Florida, New Smyrna Beach particularly, yet another shark attack has gone down – the fourth of the year. That's more times than most people have gone to the dentist, called their grandma who lives out of state, or gave the house a deep cleaning so far in 2025. It shouldn't come as a huge surprise, however, since the attack happened in the 'shark bite capital of the world.' Quite often, Volusia County ranks high on lists that track the number of shark attacks across the globe, and quite often, NSB, which rests in Volusia, is responsible for those high numbers. Four attacks, and the summer season isn't over yet. For more on the attack, here's the local news report. The attack happened on an 18-year-old surf instructor while he was in the water giving a lesson. It chomped his foot, and the victim was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. However, the damage was described by local officials as 'nasty.' 'It's almost like a perfect storm,' said Joe Miguez, manager of the University of Florida International Shark Attack File. 'We have turbidity water, we have a lot of bait fish in the water, and you also have a lot of people in the water. So, it's kind of like a three-pronged thing.'Just last month, over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, another surfer was attacked at New Smyrna Beach. Matt Bender, 40, had his arm ran through a meat grinder when a shark latched onto him during a session at NSB. 'Just like a lightning strike, the shark came out of nowhere,' Bender recounted. 'I just felt it chomp down on my arm. It felt like a bear trap. Unfortunately, it shredded my arm. It immediately let go, and was gone in a flash.' Two attacks in two months; four attacks so far this year; NSB living up to its unfortunate moniker. Keep an eye out, Floridian Bites Teen Surfer in Florida…Fourth This Year (Video) first appeared on Surfer on Jul 19, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Shark Attacks Surfer, 18, at Florida Beach Known as the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World'
The surf instructor's foot injury marks the fourth shark bite at New Smyrna beach this yearNEED TO KNOW A shark bit a surf instructor on the foot in Florida's New Smyrna Beach, which also known as the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World," on July 18 The 18-year-old surfer suffered a "nasty" but not life-threatening injury The bite marked the fourth shark encounter in Volusia County in 2025An 18-year-old was surfing in a Florida city notorious for shark encounters when one sunk its teeth into his foot. The unidentified teen — a surf instructor, according to local NBC affiliate WESH — was at New Smyrna Beach around 12 p.m. local time on Friday, July 18, when the encounter occurred, Tamra Malphurs, director of the Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue, told local outlet FOX 35. (The Daytona Beach News-Journal and local ABC affiliate WFTV also reported the news.) After the shark bit his foot, the surf instructor was transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Malphurs told FOX 35. The surfer's boss described the injury as 'nasty,' according to WESH. Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, July 19. According to an anonymous eyewitness, several first responders arrived on the scene of the attack, which marks the fourth shark encounter in Florida's Volusia County so far this year, according to the county website. Two emergency vehicles and a police car 'came pretty quickly' after the surfer was bitten, the bystander told WESH. 'And some of the instructors came and got the lifeguard on the stand here and down.' New Smyrna Beach, a surfing hub south of Daytona Beach, is widely known as the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World,' according to WESH and The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Less than two weeks before the July 18 attack, a man identified as Matthew Bender was bitten by a shark while surfing in the Florida city, per FOX 35. "I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere," Bender told the outlet of the attack, which took place on July 6. 'By the time I looked down, it was already gone. I never saw the shark, but it bit really forcefully. It felt like electricity and like extreme pressure.' "And then I think it shook its head. I definitely felt that as it was letting go,' added Bender. ' It was also fast.' There have been 359 'unprovoked' shark attacks recorded in Volusia County since 1882, the most of any Florida county, according to the International Shark Attack File, the Florida Museum of Natural History's database. The next highest is Brevard County, with 159. Volusia County 'is conducive toward shark bites' due to a 'confluence of factors,' Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History's Florida Program for Shark Research, previously told The Daytona Beach News-Journal. 'You need a bunch of sharks, and they need to be in the mood to bite things, and you need a bunch of people in the same area at the same time,' Naylor told the newspaper in 2024, explaining that there are also environmental factors, like the nutrients in the area. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Though the species of shark behind the recent Volusia County bites is unknown, blacktip sharks are responsible for most of the bites in the region, according to Naylor. Sharks like blacktips and spinner sharks, which are also found in the area, 'are highly piscivorous,' the evolutionary biologist told The Daytona Beach News-Journal, detailing that their diet typically consists of fish, so when they bite a person, the injured individual's reaction scares them away. 'If they were bull sharks or tiger sharks,' Naylor said, 'they might stick around a little bit more, and the injuries would be a lot worse.' Read the original article on People
