Shark clamps on to swimmer’s stomach

First Aid Training in Canberra. We provide excellent first aid training courses in the local Canberra area. Check out our courses coming up before the end of the year www.canberrafirstaid.com

WARNING: This story contains graphic content

CONFRONTING footage shows the moment a US man was left in agony when a shark was cut from his exposed stomach.

Florida resident Ervin Maccarty caught more than he bargained for on a recent fishing trip when he emerged from the water with a small nurse shark clamped on to his abdomen. He can be heard swearing in pain when the shark thrashed about, sending him down to the deck.

Unable to pry the shark from his body, friends told Mr Maccarty to “lie down” while one of them fetched a knife. A decision was made to cut into the shark and “bleed it out” until it let go.

“Stab him, stab the shark,” a woman shouted off camera.

“Don’t cut me, don’t bleed him out on me,” Mr Maccarty screamed in response to the hack surgery.

Ervin Maccarty hits the deck with the shark latched on to his stomach. Picture: Newsflare/AP

Ervin Maccarty hits the deck with the shark latched on to his stomach. Picture: Newsflare/APSource:Supplied

Friends use a knife to cut the shark free. Picture: Newsflare/AP

Friends use a knife to cut the shark free. Picture: Newsflare/APSource:Supplied

Gruesome video shows blood spurting when one man stabbed the shark, slicing through its body in an attempt to unlock its jaws.

“Hit his brain,” one woman insisted. She then joked about the blood ruining her beach towel.

At one point, the shark released its bite on Mr Maccarty’s abdomen — only to latch on to another part of his body.

Eventually, the “poor little fella” relinquished his grip. Friends then washed the blood off Mr Maccarty to survey the damage to his lower abdomen but he was left with only a small bite mark.

Mr Maccarty swears in pain as the bloodied shark keeps its hold. Picture: Newsflare/AP

Mr Maccarty swears in pain as the bloodied shark keeps its hold. Picture: Newsflare/APSource:Supplied

The nurse shark is finally freed from Mr Maccarty’s abdomen. Picture: Newsflare/AP

The nurse shark is finally freed from Mr Maccarty’s abdomen. Picture: Newsflare/APSource:Supplied

Mr Maccarty, who had been retrieving lobsters earlier this month when the incident occurred, told Newsflare the shark “hit me hard”.

“It knocked the breath out of me so I had to get up for air but I felt the shark biting and trying to tear me open,” he said.

“It wouldn’t let go so I had to hold it tight with both hands so it wouldn’t rip me open and I had to get up for air with the shark pulling me down.

“I thought I would drown. I got up and saw the boat had floated away and everyone yelling that the shark had bit me.

“No one knew it was still on me. I had to get to the boat with no hands to swim with. It was a struggle and wore me out.”

Leave a Reply