Fisherman ‘lucky to be alive’ after being attacked by bull shark in front of his children

A Florida man was spearfishing off the coast of Key West this week when a shark bit him as his two children watched in horror.

The bull shark bit Jose Abreu Hernandez in the chest, back and chin on Monday, leaving his two sons screaming in horror. A friend who was with the family got into the water and charged the shark, hitting him with his spear gun several times.

The shark loosened its grip about 15 seconds later and swam away. However, Hernandez was left critically wounded and trying to console his sons.

“My kids, I say ‘Hey daddy, no die, no die,” he told WSVN-TV . He responded: “Hey, don’t worry, this is small, this is nothing, this is small.”

Hernandez was critically wounded and airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center in Miami. Officials described him as “alert and responsive at the time of the airlift,” according to a news release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

After being taken into surgery, doctors managed to stop the bleeding from the wounds and gave him hundreds of stitches, including on his leg, which doctors managed to save. Still, Hernandez faces months of rehabilitation.

“He lost a lot of blood and required surgery and a blood transfusion,” Marcos Mendez, his nephew wrote on a GoFundMe to help him with the recovery costs. “The surgeon said he is lucky to be alive. However, it will be a long road to recovery to walk again and he will be out of work for months.”

The GoFundMe has raised nearly $2,800 towards its $12,000 goal.

Hernandez is expected to begin physical therapy later this week. He is in good spirits, he told the TV station and would like to go spearfishing again once he heals.

Florida has the most shark bites in the world. Last year, 23 percent of unprovoked attacks happened in the state.