'I survived a shark attack – here's exactly what being eaten feels like'

An 18-year-old surfer recently suffered a vicious shark attack which left the predator's teeth embedded in his foot at a Florida beach notorious for frequent shark encounters.

Surf instructor Sam Hollis revealed he was having a normal day at work when a big wave washed over him, toppling him off his board. When Hollis re-mounted, his feet were hanging in the water, and that’s when a shark appeared from nowhere and seized his entire foot. Hollis likened theshark attack to a "dog having a toy in its mouth."

The shark dragged him for about 10 to 15 feet before he was luckily able to swim away. The extent of Hollis's gruesome injuries can be seen in graphic images taken from the teen's hospital bed while he recovers.

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Speaking to WCJB TV20, Hollis shared: “[The shark] Just grabbed me by my foot and yanked me off my board and was like, ‘Yeah, I’m having you for a little snack, man.’ And then, I was having none of that, so I kicked it. I was like, ‘This is what feeling attacked by a shark feels like.’”

The attack happened at New Smyrna Beach — a Florida city that holds the unofficial title of 'shark bite capital of the world' — around noon local time on July 18, according to Tamra Malphurs, director of the Volusia Country Beach Safety Ocean Rescue. Soon after the incident, multiple first responders were spotted racing to the scene of the attack.

Speaking to FOX35 about the encounter, Hollis said: "It felt clamped and then it kind of felt hot because of the teeth. And then it just kind of started pulling. It's almost like, um, a dog with a toy in its mouth going like, you know, like that. I was kicking at it after I realized it had me in its mouth. I was like, ‘Yeah, get this thing away from me!’"

Although he tried to swim away, Hollis shared: "But it still like, had my foot in its mouth for a good little bit. And I mean, obviously they're fast." Since then, doctors have informed the teen surfer that he has a flesh wound, and the young man is expected to make a full recovery.

Sharing some advice for others who happen to be at the unfortunate end of a shark attack, Hollis said: “Really, the best thing you can do is just stay calm, just keep breathing. Obviously, you do have a wound. No matter how bad of an attack it is, there’s going to be something you probably have to address.”

Even after the terrifying ordeal, the teen surfer is staying positive and insists he won’t be giving up surfing as he thinks “it’s important to not let something like this dictate doing things that you love.” In fact, the first thing the teen wants to do is to get back out on the water. The young surf instructor has revealed he will be needing a mobility scooter or crutches while healing.

The 'Shark Bite Capital of the World'

Sam Hollis's terrifying ordeal marks the fourth shark encounter this year in Volusia County.

Since 1882, Volusia County has logged 359 "unprovoked" shark attacks — the highest tally of any Florida county, according to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Brevard County comes second with 159 attacks.

"Due to a confluence of factors," the region is "conducive toward shark bites," explained Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History's Florida Program for Shark Research, while speaking to The Daytona Beach News-Journal in 2024.

"You need a bunch of sharks, and they need to be in the mood to bite things, and you need a bunch of people in the same area at the same time," Naylor shared, noting that nutrients in the region and other environmental factors contribute to the situation in the area.

Earlier this month, a man named Matthew Bender, 40, from Orlando, was bitten by a shark while surfing in the area. Following attack July 6 attack, Bender described to WOFL–TV that he felt the shark "clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere".

He continued: "By the time I looked down, it was already gone. I never saw the shark, but it bit really forcefully. It felt like electricity and like extreme pressure. And then I think it shook its head. I definitely felt that as it was letting go. It was also fast."

While the type of shark behind the latest attack remains a mystery, Naylor revealed that blacktip sharks are infamous for attacks in the area.