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A Georgia man in his early 20s is recovering after experiencing a shark bite while protecting his pregnant fiancée at a Florida beach.
The man was wading in waist-deep water near the Dunlawton Beach Approach in Daytona Beach Shores shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Saturday — just ahead of Shark Week this year — when a shark estimated to be about 4 feet long bit his left foot and ankle, Volusia County Beach Safety officials told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“He was treated on scene by Beach Safety personnel and transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” officials said.
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The victim was identified by FOX 5 Atlanta as Jacorey High of Henry County, Georgia. High said his first priority was getting his pregnant fiancée safely out of the water.
“I realized right away it was a shark because of the way it bit down on my foot, but I was more worried about getting my fiancée out of the water,” High told FOX 5 Atlanta.
High said the shark continued to pursue him as he tried to escape.
“Then it came up to try to get my arm. So I had to push it away from me. I ran, and it tried to get my other leg,” he told the station.
He described the shark as gray on top and about as tall as the distance from his waist to his feet, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
After reaching the shore, High realized the severity of his injuries.
“I didn’t really feel it until I got to the hospital, when they started giving me medicine for it,” he said.
Doctors performed surgery on High’s foot after the attack, and he told the station he expects his recovery could take about three months.
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“Hoping that it didn’t really mess up anything important in my foot so that I can go back to work,” High said.
Fox News Digital previously reported that shark experts have urged beachgoers to stay alert this summer as sightings have increased along several U.S. coastlines.
Marine biologist Mike Heithaus of Florida International University told Fox News Digital that shark bites remain unusual, even during the busy summer beach season.
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“People should always be aware of local conditions and listen to lifeguards, but shark bites are very rare,” he emphasized.
He recommended that people avoid murky water, that they stay away from areas where large schools of fish are visible and that they avoid places where other people are actively fishing.
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Fox News Digital reached out to High for further comment about what happened.