A Florida surfer is vowing to return to the waves after being bitten by a shark in a county deemed “the shark bite capital of the world.”
Volusia County Beach Safety reported to Fox News Digital that Matthew Bender, 40, from Winter Park, Florida, experienced a shark encounter while surfing at New Smyrna Beach, known for its shark activity, on Sunday, July 6, when a shark bit his arm.
“It felt like something clamped down on me like a bear trap out of nowhere,” Bender recounted to Fox News affiliate WOFL-TV from his hospital bed. “By the time I looked down, it had already left. I never actually saw the shark, but the bite was quite powerful.”
“It felt like electricity – pressure, extreme pressure – and then I think it shook its head as it let go. It was so fast,” he said.
The recovery ahead may be long, and the resulting scar will be permanent.
“I don’t know if it’ll be the cool ones that chicks dig, but it might be ugly,” he joked.
Matthew Bender, 40, said he’s excited to fully recover and head back out to the surf following his shark attack. (WOFL-TV)
The longtime surfer is eager to return to the waves, with doctors expecting Bender to make a full recovery within months.
“I believe the Lord prevented it from being more severe. He works in mysterious ways,” Bender shared. “I’ll need to take a short break, but I’ll be back riding the waves soon. I’m truly a New Smyrna surfer at heart, and this incident won’t put an end to that.”
Authorities have not confirmed the type or size of the shark involved.
