Fisherman Catches 6-Foot Long Shark, Gets Bitten As He Tries To Release It

Florida Keys -- A fisherman was bitten by a shark six feet long in Florida as he tried to remove a hook from the creature’s mouth. He was airlifted to the hospital following the incident.

The unidentified angler had caught the shark between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Sunday near Content Keys, which is a group of mangrove-covered islands north of Big Torch Key in the Lower Keys, according to the Miami Herald. Witnesses said it was a lemon shark involved in the incident.

After the fisherman realized he had caught the shark, he reeled it in to remove the hook and release it back into the water. However, as he “got too close to its mouth,” the shark bit him, according to Officer Jason Rafter, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The man was flown to Jackson South Medical Center in Miami by helicopter. Details about his condition were not released, according to Patch.

Lemon sharks can grow up to 9 to 10 feet in size and are prohibited from being harvested in Florida state waters, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said on their website. However, they still become commercial targets for their fins, hide and flesh.

The Florida FWC noted that lemon sharks have been involved in “only a few non-fatal bites on humans.”

The incident involving the fisherman comes days after a 35-year-old Texas woman was attacked by a shark in the same area.

Lindsay Bruns, a mother of two girls, was swimming with her family from a pontoon boat near the Tarpon Belly Keys, located only a few miles from Content Key when the shark bit her. Her husband, Luke Bruns, jumped into the water and helped bring Lindsay to safety.

Lindsay is recovering following the attack that left her with a large wound to her leg. She had to undergo 11 blood transfusions and three surgeries after the June 29 attack.

“All things considered, she is doing very well,” Luke told Miami Herald. “She was in near perfect health before this.” The husband said they are hopeful about Lindsay making a full recovery from the incident.