A SURFER has been mauled by a shark in a tourist hotspot that has developed a reputation for attacks carried out by the predators.
Matthew Bender had to go under the knife after his arm was left savaged.
Surfer Matthew Bender was left hospitalized after being attacked by a shark off the coast of Florida[/caption]
New Smyrna Beach is known as the shark capital of the world (stock)[/caption]
He was in the water at New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on Sunday when the predator struck, as reported by the Fox affiliate WOFL-TV.
Lifeguards sprang into action and fellow surfers used a leash to act as a tourniquet.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Bender recalled the horror.
“I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere,” he told the outlet.
“I never saw the shark, but it bit really forcefully. It felt like electricity.”
New Smyrna Beach is known as the shark bite capital of the world.
Since the 1880s, there have been more than 300 shark attacks along the stretch of coastline.
More recently, there have been up to 10 attacks at New Smyrna Beach per year.
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