Surfer Peter Kirn discusses being bitten by a shark off Deerfield Beach.
The surfer attacked by a shark in the waters off Deerfield Beach spoke out on Tuesday about the incident.
Peter Kirn isn't keen on sitting down, but he'll be turning in his surfboard for a wheelchair for a while as he recovers from a shark attack that left deep gashes in his foot.
"I paddled for a wave and I laid down and I felt something clamp on my foot. I turned around and saw the spinner shark just going crazy and I got knocked off my board," Kirn explained.
Shock and surprise for the avid surfer who is familiar with the Deerfield Beach waters. He said the adrenaline overwhelmed the pain he felt, enabling him to paddle to shore and then sprint up to a lifeguard stand with a friend.
"I was looking at my foot and could just feel it pulsing and gushing blood. I had a bunch of adrenaline so I ran up to try and get help," Kirn said.
"He just got bit by a shark, there was blood. We got him to lay down and I didn't know what to do there was a lot of blood, I felt like fainting, it was crazy," said Jake Feldman, who witnessed the attack.
Kirn was rushed to Broward Health North, where doctors discovered the bite was deep, but not too damaging.
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"Lucky for him, it didn't get into the bone. We had to wash it out extensively and medicate him for pain because he was uncomfortable, but he was a good patient," said Dr. Nigel Sosan.
Kirn said he plans to get back in the water as soon as he can, but realizes how fortunate he is.
"I never thought I'd get bit by a shark, I guess yesterday was my day. Thank God it was my foot and not anything more severe," Kirn said.
Kirn will remain at the hospital for another few days. Doctors want to make sure he doesn't develop an infection from the bites.
