A Florida man who suffered a terrifying shark attack and nearly had his arm torn off has issued a warning to swimmers.
Yosvany Echevarria, 46, said he was snorkeling with friends off the coast of Boca Chita Key on Saturday morning when he was attacked.
Boca Chita Key is a small island part of Biscayne National Park about 20 miles southeast of Miami. The shark bit Echevarria around 11.30am.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the call and transported Echevarria to the Jackson South Medical Center for treatment.
With his left hand and half his forearm wrapped in thick layers of gauze, Echevarria recounted the attack that left him with 27 stitches to CBS News Miami.
‘He could have ripped my arm off,’ he said. ‘I was scared. I was in a lot of pain. We were swimming there by the beach. I was diving in the water and snorkeling, and a shark lunged at me, at my hands.’
Echevarria went on to describe the shark. He motioned with his hands near his chest to indicate the size of the fish and said it was white – but he did not know what species it was.
He said the shark bit him seven or eight times and left him with injuries that required 27 stitches on his arm.
Yosvany Echevarria, 46, said he was snorkeling with friends off the coast of Boca Chita Key Saturday morning when he was attacked by a shark
Echevarria said the shark bit him seven or eight times and he had to get 27 stiches
He and his friends were able to get out of the water quickly because they were close to the shore, and they called for help.
Echevarria said he moved to South Florida from Cuba three years ago and has been snorkeling regularly ever since.
‘I love to be out there,’ he said, adding that this was the first time he was attacked by a shark and that it will take a long time for him to build enough courage to get back into the water.
After his terrifying encounter, Echevarria issued a warning to fellow swimmers: ‘My advice to people is if they are going to get in the water, they need to be careful.
‘It could have been much worse. I was lucky it was just bites.’
Florida has had the most unprovoked shark bites in the world for years, according to Florida Museum.
In 2024, the state had 14 recorded shark bites, which made up 50 percent of the US total and 30 percent of the global total.
None of the attacks in the state were fatal, and the 2024 figure is lower than Florida’s five-year average of 19 bites.
He said he was lucky the shark did not rip his arm off
Echevarria was attacked off the coast of Boca Chita Key (pictured, island with the lighthouse), which is a small island about 20 miles southeast of Miami
Echevarria was snorkeling near a beach such as this one on Boca Chita Key (stock image)
In April this year, a Florida man was bitten by a shark in an unexpected location – the state’s Everglades National Park.
Although the area is more well known for its alligators and alligator attacks, it is also home to several species of sharks, some of which are dangerous to humans.
In August, another Florida man was bitten by a lemon shark after he and his friends pulled it from the ocean and were posing for pictures with it.
In early September, an eight-year-old boy was left fighting for his life after he was attacked by a shark while swimming near Horseshoe Reef, Key Largo in the Florida Keys.
