Overview
- Shawn Meuse was bitten in the leg by a roughly 6-foot lemon shark on Aug. 16 on Cayo Costa near Boca Grande while posing after a hook removal, as video shows the shark jerking and clamping down.
- A 911 caller reported a tourniquet on his leg, and Boca Grande Fire Department crews reached the group around 10:55 p.m. at the south end of the beach before arranging air transport to Gulf Coast Medical Center.
- Meuse was scheduled for surgery two days later and is expected to make a full recovery, telling local outlets from his hospital bed that he plans to fish again and saying, "See you next time."
- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission notes lemon sharks are native and cannot be harvested in state waters, and guidance says they should not be held out of water for photos.
- Meuse told reporters he did not catch the shark and does not have a shark-fishing permit, as officials urge heightened caution during tarpon season when sharks frequent nearshore waters.