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Shark attacks man snorkeling in Florida Keys

Posted at 9:15 AM, Jul 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-09 13:51:44-04

A Georgia man is recovering after a shark reportedly bit him in the Florida Keys on Saturday.

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed the incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m. at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo.

The man was injured during a snorkeling trip as he celebrated his 30th wedding anniversary, a witness told WTVJ in Miami.

"Within about 15 minutes of all the snorkelers going out there, I saw one of the snorkelers, a male, was waving his hands in distress," said the witness.

The man was transported to a local hospital, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Sunday. His condition is not yet known.

Video from the incident shows people on a boat helping the man out of the water as he bled heavily from one leg.

"He had indicated that it was a shark bite. Other passengers maybe mentioned a barracuda, but there were other snorkelers that said they did see sharks in the water," said a witness. 

The witness said one member of the boat crew jumped into the water to help the victim.

The witness commended the captain and crew for keeping calm and getting the other people out of the water.

Courtesy of our news partner at NBC Miami