Brave young surfer vows to return to ocean after shark treats foot like “dog toy”

"I was kicking at it after I realized it had me in its mouth. I was like, ‘Yeah, get this thing away from me!'”

Now, there is nothing new about shark-on-surfer violence in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The “shark bite capital of the world” is famous for its many, multiple attacks. The latest on young Sam Hollis, a tender 18 years of age, already the second this month of July.

Hollis, who works as a surf instructor, claims it was a normal Florida day when he paddled out. Hot, likely, and sticky. He was out teaching another the joys of surfing when the aggression occurred. A bigger wave sent him off his board leaving his feet dangling in the water.

“That’s when the shark snuck up on him,” according to a local Miami news outlet.

“It felt clamped and then it kind of felt hot because of the teeth and then it just kind of started pulling. It’s almost like a dog with a toy in its mouth going like, you know, like that,” Hollis shared, continuing, “I was kicking at it after I realized it had me in its mouth. I was like, ‘Yeah, get this thing away from me!’”

The beast did not immediately get away, swimming with Hollis for fifteen feet before finally unlatching.

“It tried to swim away, but it still had my foot in its mouth for a good little bit and I mean, obviously they’re fast,” the Floridian stated.

Thankfully, doctors saved the foot, Hollis is out, or near out, of the hospital and he vows he will return to the ocean once healed.

This last bit always inspires.

I have read countless shark attack stories, now, and written even more. Never not once did the victim say, “I think I’m done. No more surfing for me…” in the wake of desecration. Or at least no real surfer.

Remarkable.

I can’t imagine yoga practitioners rushing back to the studio if there was regular man-eating going on inside, for example.

Can you?

We should give ourselves a pat on the back.

Tough gals.