MIAMI – It was a clear sunny day out in the ocean off the Florida Keys on Monday when trouble hit 37-year-old Jose Angel Abreu.
Abreu suffered a severe shark bite while out spearfishing with his young sons and a good friend who witnessed it all.
“When I go to the boat, the shark followed me and my friend,” he said.
Abreu’s injuries were apparent, across the left side of his chest and down one of his legs after the sharp teeth of the shark dug into his skin.
“You don’t have time to feel nothing-- it’s too fast,” he said. “My kids say, ‘Daddy no die, no die’ I say don’t worry.”
Despite the trauma, Abreu hung in there as the boat raced back to the marina where he was met by a medical helicopter.
He was airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center where he continues to recover.
“Probably I am here (because of) my friend,” said Abreu. “He saved my life.”
Abreu’s family started a GoFundMe account to help with his recovery. Click here for more information on how you can contribute.