MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Two quick-thinking nurses who rushed to help after a bloody shark attack off Key Biscayne spoke to Local 10 News Tuesday about the ordeal.
The incident occurred Saturday morning while the 40-year-old victim was diving.
A Hot Shot Charters boat picked him up and, lucky for him, best friends Christine Haines and Glazier Martin were onboard.
Both are nurses who jumped into duty.
"We saw one man holding up a very mangled, bloody arm and that's when it kind of hit, and I turned around to Glaizer and I said, 'We're Up!'" Haines said.
The man in obvious pain mainly spoke Spanish, but he said a few words in English they understood: "Help me" and "shark."
Martin and Haines said they looked for every first aid tool they could to control the bleeding.
Everyone else onboard the boat took orders.
"The two guys had put a good tourniquet on him already, (who) were on the other boat," Martin said. "So when he came to us, the bleeding was still bad, but it was not as bad as it could have been."
It was a harrowing 20 minutes as the nurses kept him as comfortable as they could heading to shore.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews waited at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park to transport the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital.
The nurses said they are grateful they were there to help.
"It was exciting to be a part of it but scary," Martin said.
"(We're) just thankful that we were there to be there for someone who really needed our help," Haines added.
At last check, the diver remained hospitalized at Jackson Memorial Hospital.