The state’s first shark attack victim in about 70 years said he feels very lucky to have made it back to the Cape Cod beach he was swimming off of when he was bitten by a great white shark.
Chris Myers, from Colorado, spoke about his injuries and thanked the doctors, nurses and staff at Massachusetts General Hospital in a video posted online this week by the hospital.
Myers was swimming off of Ballston Beach in Truro with his 16-year-old son when he was bitten last week.
“I was swimming off the coast of Cape Cod and I was attacked by a great white shark, believe it or not,” Myers said in the video.
He said he had eight “deep puncture wounds” on his legs and feet. It took 47 stitches to close the wounds. Some of his tendons were severed.
“It felt like I had my foot stuck in a … vice and I knew instantly it was a shark and we started swimming as hard as we could to shore,” he said.
The video shows Myers in his hospital bed with his son sitting next to him. A state shark expert is seen taking photos of his wounds to be able to confirm what exactly bit Myers.
Myers is shown surrounded by nurses and doctors at the hospital who pose for pictures with him.
“I feel very lucky to have made it back to that beach in one piece,” he said.
Video of Myers can be seen below:
