A 911 call recording posted online has revealed the horrifying ordeal of a family after an Atlanta man was bitten by a shark on Sunday in the Florida Keys, leaving a "gaping wound."
Thirty-year-old Andrew Eddy was on a boat trip with his pregnant wife's family when he jumped in the sea near the Sombrero Key offshore lighthouse to go snorkelling.
But "almost immediately" after he entered the water, Eddy was bitten on the shoulder by what witnesses described as an eight-to-10-foot-long bull shark, according to a statement released by Monroe County Sheriff's Office (MCSO.)
On the 911 call, one of the party—an unidentified male—can be heard saying: "This is an emergency, we are in the middle of the ocean, someone has got to get to Sombrero Key lighthouse."
The emergency response team advised the party to apply pressure to the wound, which MCSO described as "severe."
"The bleeding is somewhat controlled, it's basically a big chunk taken out of his shoulder. It's a gaping wound," the male said.
At the beginning of the call, Eddy's mother-in-law can be heard frantically explaining the situation to a 911 dispatcher.
"My son-in-law just got bitten by a shark, we need help immediately," she said.
After a discussion, the 911 team convinced the party to head back to shore—about four miles away—on their private boat where a response team would be waiting for them.
Paramedics met the party on Sombrero Beach at around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday and Eddy was then airlifted to a hospital in Miami. Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay praised the actions of first responders and the family party.
"This was a very rare medical crisis for the Florida Keys, but everyone came together—including those witnesses on the boat to 911 Communicators to all our emergency responders—in order to ensure this victim received life-saving care," Ramsay said in a statement.
Following the incident, reports emerged of the heroic actions taken by Eddy's wife, 29-year-old Margot Dukes-Eddy, who jumped in the water after her husband was bitten in order to rescue him.
"Dukes saw the shark's dorsal fin and then blood filling the water. Without hesitation, she dove into the water and pulled Eddy to the safety of the boat. The family called 911," Monroe County Deputy Christopher Aguanno wrote in an incident report, according to Local 10 news.
Shark attacks in the area—like in the rest of the world—are a very rare occurrence. In fact, there have only been 17 recorded shark attacks in Monroe County since 1882, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File.
It is "atypical for a shark to be this aggressive," Gavin Naylor, the director of the program, told NBC News. "We haven't had a shark bite in Monroe for about 10 years."
About the writer
Aristos is a Newsweek science reporter with the London, U.K., bureau. He reports on science and health topics, including; animal, ... Read more
