Surfer Survives ‘freaky’ Second Shark Bite In 11 Years At Same Beach

Cole Taschman may want to stick to land after suffering a once-in-a-lifetime scare twice. On Oct. 25, the Florida man suffered his second shark bite in 11 years at the same beach.

The local NBC station reported that Taschman was surfing with friends at Bathtub Beach in Stuart, Florida, when he saw a shark biting his legs.

“I looked behind me and he was he kind of was just like, on the back of me,” the charter company owner told the outlet. “I just looked and I saw last-second him kind of going under and then he just kind of moved towards the side. I could kind of see his silhouette.”

Taschman estimated that shark, which he believes to be tiger or bull shark, was seven to eight feet long. In a post to GoFundMe, Taschman’s girlfriend, Ana Peci, revealed more about the attack.

“The shark bit down on both his feet at once and he suffered from tendon damage and sustained deep wounds almost losing both his feet,” she wrote.

Taschman was able to make his way back to shore after the bite. There, his friends used surfboard leashes as a tourniquet for his legs, before driving him to the hospital.

“I actually blacked out,” he told the outlet. “I almost passed out from shock or losing enough blood.”

During the drive, Taschman’s pals did everything they could to keep him awake. His girlfriend was slapping him and his friend was dumping water on his head.

Cole Taschman’s Long Road to Recovery

When he made it to the hospital, Taschman underwent two surgeries, received 93 stitches, and was given “a bunch of staples,” he wrote on Instagram.

On his GoFundMe page, which has raised nearly $6,000 of its $30,000 goal, Peci revealed more about her boyfriend’s situation.

“He does not have health insurance,” she wrote. “He is a local captain loved in the community and won’t be able to work for 3 months to recover from his attack. He is currently wheelchair bound and has a long road to recovery. Please help him stay on his feet (no pun intended) and to cover medical costs.”

The most recent ocean encounter was much more serious than his experience 11 years ago, Taschman said.

“There’s no comparison,” he told the outlet. “It’s like comparing an Olympic athlete to a high school athlete… It’s so hectic how much worse this one was.”

Experiencing the unlikely encounter two times in just over a decade has made Taschman think about his family and his life, he said.

“It’s freaky,” he said. “That’s just the heaviest thing ever… It changes you. So definitely don’t surf alone.”

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