Dave Daniel, a 43-year-old man living in Florida, thought he would bleed to death on a beach in the Keys after a nearly two-meter shark tore apart part of his leg. Two nearby boaters with medical training turned out to be crucial in saving his life.
The attack occurred on August 23, when Daniel, who works as an exterminator, was fishing in shallow waters near a sandbar in Boca Grande Key, west of Key West.
According to what was reported on the Today program of NBC News, he saw the animal in the water and tried to move away, but the shark swam towards him and bit him on the foot and lower leg.
"I looked at the water and there was a lot of blood," he recalled.
Daniel managed to free himself and reach the shore, but he was losing so much blood that he came to believe he wouldn't survive.
"Seated on the beach, bleeding out, I was making peace with myself, telling myself, 'If your time has come, then your time has come'," he recounted.
He also shared that he began to think about the music he loves, the good people in his life, and especially his mother. "I started to think about my mom, who passed away in October, and she was definitely there with me," he recalled.
Then two sailors who were nearby and had medical training appeared. They rushed to assist him and managed to control the bleeding while waiting for the rescue teams to arrive.
Daniel described them as "angels that appear out of nowhere."
"If it weren't for them, I would be dead on the beach, without a doubt. Thank goodness they were trained medical professionals, nurses, and paramedics," he stated.
One of the individuals who participated in the rescue was the certified nurse Courtney McMurray, who explained to Today that she was simply fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.
"I think we were meant to be there," he said.
The U.S. Coast Guard subsequently evacuated Daniel by helicopter to Jackson South Medical Center in Miami-Dade, where he underwent two surgeries.
Daniel was discharged from the hospital on August 26, just three days after the attack, although he left with his foot immobilized in a orthopedic boot and serious difficulties moving.
Even then, he maintained his sense of humor.
"I feel good, pretty strong. It's just that my blood pressure is a bit off because, you know, I just got attacked by a shark," he joked.
However, the road to his recovery will be long. Daniel will need to go six to eight weeks without walking and will then undergo physical therapy, in addition to spending some time away from work.
In addition to the physical consequences, there is also an economic impact. Daniel does not have health insurance, so his friend Robyn Corliss started a GoFundMe campaign to help him cover the expenses related to the surgeries and recovery.
Florida historically leads the statistics for unprovoked shark attacks in the United States. In the Keys, the presence of the nurse shark is common, a species generally regarded as low in aggression towards humans.
The incident adds to others reported recently in the state. In June 2026, an employee of the NSA Panama City naval base was left in critical condition after suffering an attack while swimming.
For Daniel, surviving changed his perspective on the fragility of life.
"In an instant, you could be strolling, having a wonderful time, enjoying the nice weather and having fun with your friends, and the very next minute, you could literally be dead," he reflected.
And although he feels grateful to be alive, there is one thing he is certain of for now: he does not plan to return to the water anytime soon.
"Probably not for a long time," he admitted.
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