Florida man opens up about recovery after surviving shark attack at New Smyrna Beach on July 31
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FLORIDA: By sheer luck, a Florida man avoided a shark attack by landing directly on top of the hungry beast in the "shark bite capital of the world." 22-year-old Brandon Boncore was surfing at New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County, Florida, a location he has frequented countless times despite being aware of the dangers.
On Monday, July 31, his surf session did not turn out nearly as well as his prior visits to the beach, which is situated along the east coast between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River's inland waterways. His experience only serves to caution beachgoers to be ready to take a risk when surfing, particularly in the state that led international statistics for the number of shark attacks.
How did Brandon Boncore survive the shark attack?
When Boncore was paddling back to shore, a shark unexpectedly bit him, necessitating immediate medical attention. He admitted to WKMG's Click Orlando, "I felt it and I was just like, Oh c**p, not me." The Florida man claimed to have even spotted a couple of sharks while surfing, but they didn't seem to disturb him at the time. "Actually, on my first wave I saw two or three right under me, I just saw a couple of shadows," the man recounted. "In New Smyrna, that's kind of normal."
But when the Florida man, whom Click Orlando described as a "college golfer, avid skater, and lover of the water," tried to paddle back to shore, he accidentally landed on top of a shark. "It bit me right in the foot," he said. "And I just took my right foot and kicked it off and kind of jumped on my board and looked back. First thing I thought was, 'Are my toes there?'" This was the fourth bite of the year in Volusia County.
'I know the risks but I love it so much'
Fortunately, according to Boncore, he was surfing next to a paramedic who called 911 and stepped in to help until EMS arrived. When the bite occured, according to the Florida man, it didn't quite feel how most people would anticipate. "There was just a lot of pressure on my left foot," he stated. Boncore had to rest his foot for a month after receiving many sutures. He does, however, promise to return to the ocean as soon as he can, despite the fact that his friend Chris Pospisil was also attacked by a shark in the same location two weeks ago. "Same exact spot. I was surfing that day, too, which is even more wild," said the Florida man. "I know the risks, but I love it so much that I just want to go surf."
Boncore has created a GoFundMe page "in order to help cover the costs of medical bills for the surgery that I had to undergo, rehab that I will have to complete, and time out from work." He has also set out plans to leave Florida in order to pursue a degree in teaching in Georgia at Dalton State College, as well as an athletic career in collegiate golf, as per the site. His story has been circulated on social media and some of his loved ones are expressing concern for him. One of them wrote while requesting people to help Boncore on Facebook, "Good man, heading to college..with a shark bite .. great golfer!"