Paddleboarder bitten by shark in Flagler Beach speaks about encounter
By Pattrik Perez
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FLAGLER BEACH, Florida (WESH) — A paddleboarder is recovering after being bitten by a shark in Flagler Beach over the weekend.
Brian Miller, who lives in South Carolina, said he was on his board less than 200 yards from shore near South 17th Street on Saturday morning when he decided to get in the water to cool down. That’s when he quickly realized he wasn’t alone.
“It felt mostly like you’re in a deep pool and your friend is messing with you and grabs the bottom of your foot firmly, gives it a little tug,” Miller said.
That tug turned out to be a shark biting his left foot.
“I wasn’t, like, in severe pain, like screaming in pain. It was more like, ‘No way, I just got bit by a shark. I cannot believe I just got bit by shark. This is unbelievable,'” Miller said.
His friends, whom he was visiting nearby, took him to the hospital, where doctors stitched him up. He says he was fortunate the damage wasn’t worse.
“Luckily, [the shark] didn’t crush any of the bones or take any of the bones. All the bones were intact,” Miller said.
But the shark definitely left its mark.
“It’s like four distinctive lines on my foot. It looks like four razor blades,” Miller said.
Even after being treated, Miller said he had a hard time believing what happened.
“I still asked the doctor, ‘Was it a legit shark bite? Could it have been anything else? And he’s like, ‘No, we’re pretty confident this is a legit shark bite,'” he said.
Miller has to stay out of the water for the next few weeks as his stitches heal, but once he’s ready, he says the encounter won’t keep him away.
“I don’t think it’s gonna hold me back. I’m confident that I’ll be able to be right back out there,” Miller said.
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