Shark Attack In Florida: Texas Man Recovering After Being Bitten By Bull Shark While Fishing

A Florida vacation took a near-deadly turn for a 72-year-old Texas man who was attacked by a bull shark.

Paul Kelly had traveled to southwest Florida from College Station, Texas, to enjoy a few days of tarpon fishing. He was fishing around Gasparilla Island and Cayo Costa when a 150-pound tarpon bit his line. However, the tarpon managed to overpower Kelly and pulled him overboard.

As he tried to regain his senses, Kelly immediately felt something around his leg. The sensation was followed by a sharp pain, prompting the others on the fishing boat to pull Kelly onboard faster.

Kelly had been bitten by a bull shark that had been hovering around the boat. A bull shark could be as long as 10 feet and weigh over 200 pounds. They are considered the most dangerous sharks because of their aggressive nature and often travel in warm, shallow waters.

Kelly didn’t realize how bad his wounds were until he started treating them back on the boat.

"It was about... probably I guess, from the two sides about two inches deep and four inches long," Kelly told WPTV, an NBC affiliate in West Palm Beach.

The boat’s captain immediately turned it around to get Kelly back to shore so he can receive proper treatment for the wounds. Kelly also had a belt wrapped around his leg in order to stop the bleeding. Once docked, he was taken to Lee Memorial Trauma Center.

Kelly, a Vietnam veteran, underwent successful surgery for a torn tendon in his knee as a result of the bite and had his leg stitched up.

He is recovering at the hospital and expressed hope that he would be home with his wife by Monday.