Overview

• Richard Burrows was bitten while snorkeling near Horseshoe Reef off Key Largo on Sept. 1 and was airlifted to Jackson Memorial’s Ryder Trauma Center.
• Surgeons reported 15–20 deep cuts around the right knee plus bites on the left shoulder and right knee, with no vascular or major neurologic injury.
• Doctors said they initially feared he could lose the leg and prioritized rapid decontamination and repair to protect the knee joint from infection.
• He was discharged Wednesday and is expected to start physical therapy in the coming weeks, with a likely return to sports in six to eight weeks.
• His father applied a tourniquet, his 10-year-old sister Rose maintained pressure, and commercial dive captain Richard Hayden aided the rush to shore; the family said a blacktip shark was involved and requested privacy.