Home/Olympics

The Everglades is the site of the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. It is an expansive region of wetlands, spanning nearly 1.5 million acres, in South Florida, meaning there are many water bodies present in the region. The wildlife present in this protected region also includes sharks. One of the most common species found surfing through the waters is the bull shark.

A video that is going viral on the internet shows fishermen having an encounter with one of the sharks that are present in the National Park. The terrifying video shows one of the fishermen being dragged off the boat, such was the might of the aquatic predator. The contents of the video have sparked a debate amongst the viewers, with many vilifying the actions of the fisherman.

Boat-rider surfing through wetlands gets the scare of his life

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The viral clip was shared on social media by a friend of the man who was dragged under the water by the shark and was re-shared by a Twitter handle. In the video, the fisherman is seen reaching into the water, and it seems like he is trying to pet the shark swimming under the surface. In a frightening turn of events, the shark suddenly grabs the hand of the man with its jaws.

The shark then pulls the man with such force, that he topples off the boat and falls into the water. Scared out of his wits and worried about his life, the man scrambles to get back on the boat as his friends start screaming, “Get him! Get him!” The man made it back on the boat, however, blood spattered on the side of the vessel as the bites bled. According to The Daily Mail, the man was airlifted Friday to Jackson South Medical Center by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue after park rangers initially responded to the scene. Whether the creature that dragged him under was a bull shark or not, is a fact yet unconfirmed.

Read more: Man Rushed to Hospital After Coming Into Contact With a Shark While Swimming

The media outlet also revealed that the video was being used by the guides working at the National Park as a cautionary tale for the visitors. One of the guides who shared the video on social media wrote along with the video, “PSA: please don’t make the same mistake and please keep your hands and feet in the vessel.” While some have been sympathizing with the victim of the shark attack, many have also expressed their anger at his actions.

Who is right and who is wrong?

As the video circulated on Twitter, many gave their two cents on the entire situation. When one of the viewers surfing on the internet saw the man trying to pet the shark, they had this sarcastic question to ask:

Another Twitterati berated the act of the victim and wrote:

A commentator also referred to Darwin’s theory of natural selection and commented:

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

While reiterating the importance of being careful in the wild, someone also wrote:

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Hopefully, the shark attack victim will recover from the ordeal. But one thing is for sure, he has learned an invaluable lesson the hard way, but one that will stay with him for life.

Watch This Story: “Most Terrifying Things” 29-Year-Old Recalls a Life-Threatening Shark Attack Experience From 2016