Boy, 13, details horrific moment he was bitten in the FACE by a shark while lobstering off the coast of Florida - forcing him to get 10 stitches to his lip

By MAILONLINE REPORTER

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A teenage boy was on a lobstering expedition in the Florida Keys when he suddenly came face-to-face with a shark which bit him in on his lip. Fischer Hricko (pictured), 13, was looking for the crustaceans with his father and was going after a particularly big specimen when he suddenly felt a tap on the back of his leg. A nurse shark managed to jump up and bit him in the face.

A teenage boy was on a lobstering expedition in the Florida Keys when he suddenly came face-to-face with a shark which bit him in on his lip. Fischer Hricko (pictured), 13, was looking for the crustaceans with his father and was going after a particularly big specimen when he suddenly felt a tap on the back of his leg. A nurse shark managed to jump up and bit him in the face.

'He just popped up screaming 'Mom, mom, shark! Get me out of here! Get me out of the water!,'' said Fischer Hricko's mom, Rhiannon (pictured), said to FOX 35. 'I saw a big one and I got it in my hand. On the way up, when I had the lobster in my hand, I felt a little tap on the back of my leg, and I looked behind me and the shark was in my face,' Fischer explained. 'It was scary, like, I tried getting away, but it was so fast,' he said. Fischer's mom was in charge of the boat, while the teen and his dad were in the water together. It was honestly the scariest five minutes of my life. Just hearing that terror in your child's voice it's something that I can't actually get out of my head,' Rhiannon said. 'I guess it was always in the back of my head. That's why I don't jump in!'.

'He just popped up screaming 'Mom, mom, shark! Get me out of here! Get me out of the water!,'' said Fischer Hricko's mom, Rhiannon (pictured), said to FOX 35. 'I saw a big one and I got it in my hand. On the way up, when I had the lobster in my hand, I felt a little tap on the back of my leg, and I looked behind me and the shark was in my face,' Fischer explained. 'It was scary, like, I tried getting away, but it was so fast,' he said. Fischer's mom was in charge of the boat, while the teen and his dad were in the water together. It was honestly the scariest five minutes of my life. Just hearing that terror in your child's voice it's something that I can't actually get out of my head,' Rhiannon said. 'I guess it was always in the back of my head. That's why I don't jump in!'.

'When I'm approaching him, I'm just seeing blood gushing out of his face, and at that point, I'm like, 'What happened?'' dad, Kent, said to News 6. 'He was definitely shocked, a little bit of crying — but not much. He was being tough. He's going to have a cool story to tell when he goes back to school!' Once Fischer and his father were back on the boat, they rushed back to the dock in order to get him to a hospital. Fischer received 10 stitches in his lip following the bite from a nurse shark, which are normally docile.

'When I'm approaching him, I'm just seeing blood gushing out of his face, and at that point, I'm like, 'What happened?'' dad, Kent, said to News 6. 'He was definitely shocked, a little bit of crying — but not much. He was being tough. He's going to have a cool story to tell when he goes back to school!' Once Fischer and his father were back on the boat, they rushed back to the dock in order to get him to a hospital. Fischer received 10 stitches in his lip following the bite from a nurse shark, which are normally docile.

'It hurts every so often, but it's fine now,' he said. Fisher says that despite the close encounter, it won't put him off getting back in the ocean. 'I'm ready, but I feel like the first few times I'll be a little scared, but I'll get in the water,' he said. According to the website Tracking Sharks , there have been 31 attacks in the U.S. this year as of August 3. Eighteen of those incidents have taken place in Florida, six in New York, three in South Carolina, and two in California.

'It hurts every so often, but it's fine now,' he said. Fisher says that despite the close encounter, it won't put him off getting back in the ocean. 'I'm ready, but I feel like the first few times I'll be a little scared, but I'll get in the water,' he said. According to the website Tracking Sharks , there have been 31 attacks in the U.S. this year as of August 3. Eighteen of those incidents have taken place in Florida, six in New York, three in South Carolina, and two in California.

The recent increase in attacks on New York beaches might be the result of a combination of conservation efforts and climate change, CNN reported last week. 'The country is warmer than it's ever been. And that's going to drive more people to the water than ever before, which just simply increases your probability of somebody getting accidentally bit,' California State University Shark Lab director Christopher Lowe told CNN on Saturday. More than 1,000 miles north along the Atlantic coast, bites have also been frequent, spurring multiple closures and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to issue an order to state agencies to increase shark surveillance.

The recent increase in attacks on New York beaches might be the result of a combination of conservation efforts and climate change, CNN reported last week. 'The country is warmer than it's ever been. And that's going to drive more people to the water than ever before, which just simply increases your probability of somebody getting accidentally bit,' California State University Shark Lab director Christopher Lowe told CNN on Saturday. More than 1,000 miles north along the Atlantic coast, bites have also been frequent, spurring multiple closures and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to issue an order to state agencies to increase shark surveillance.

The order followed a series of 'Jaws'-like attacks off Long Island that saw four bitten after several sightings across multiple beach communities. Prior to 2022, there were only 12 recorded unprovoked bites in New York's history, including four from the past decade, according to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History. 'We are taking action to expand patrols for sharks and protect beachgoers from potentially dangerous situations,' Hochul said while announcing the order at a press conference in New York's Suffolk County earlier this month. 'I encourage all New Yorkers to listen to local authorities and take precautions to help ensure safe and responsible beach trips this summer.' Pictured: A shark leaping out of the water in Queens, NY.

The order followed a series of 'Jaws'-like attacks off Long Island that saw four bitten after several sightings across multiple beach communities. Prior to 2022, there were only 12 recorded unprovoked bites in New York's history, including four from the past decade, according to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History. 'We are taking action to expand patrols for sharks and protect beachgoers from potentially dangerous situations,' Hochul said while announcing the order at a press conference in New York's Suffolk County earlier this month. 'I encourage all New Yorkers to listen to local authorities and take precautions to help ensure safe and responsible beach trips this summer.' Pictured: A shark leaping out of the water in Queens, NY. 

The governor said that heightened safety measures would include the deploying patrol boats, drones, and helicopters along the Sound's South Shore, as well as increased public outreach to residents on the dangers of the marine predators. 'Whether it's land, sea or air,' the governor said, 'we are going to be having more robust patrols on the shorelines.' Since July 3, the New York-area has seen four shark bites at three different beaches on Long Island, as well as another six shark sightings, according to PIX11 .

The governor said that heightened safety measures would include the deploying patrol boats, drones, and helicopters along the Sound's South Shore, as well as increased public outreach to residents on the dangers of the marine predators. 'Whether it's land, sea or air,' the governor said, 'we are going to be having more robust patrols on the shorelines.' Since July 3, the New York-area has seen four shark bites at three different beaches on Long Island, as well as another six shark sightings, according to PIX11 .

Out on the island, about 80 miles from Rockaway, the village of Quogue is asking area swimmers and boaters to be careful after a dead, 7-8 foot shark washed ashore (pictured). The sighting was reported by a resident of the area and washed out to shore before it could be secured by the authorities, according to Lieutenant Daniel Hartman. Police in the region are in touch with local shark researchers to see what can be done and are asking people to contact them if it is seen again. Over six miles of ocean beachfront were closed between East Atlantic Beach and Long Beach last week as a result of the attacks. Those beaches have since opened, but are still on high alert.

Out on the island, about 80 miles from Rockaway, the village of Quogue is asking area swimmers and boaters to be careful after a dead, 7-8 foot shark washed ashore (pictured). The sighting was reported by a resident of the area and washed out to shore before it could be secured by the authorities, according to Lieutenant Daniel Hartman. Police in the region are in touch with local shark researchers to see what can be done and are asking people to contact them if it is seen again. Over six miles of ocean beachfront were closed between East Atlantic Beach and Long Beach last week as a result of the attacks. Those beaches have since opened, but are still on high alert.

The Florida of Natural History and the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File (ISAF) reported that there have been six possible bites at Big Appel beaches from June 30 to July 20, 2022. Close by in Massachusetts, tens of confirmed sightings forced closures Cape Cod, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app, with multiple sightings reported off of Nauset Beach and North Beach Island. The app recorded 25 sightings during two days last week - with the most recent issued Saturday morning after a shark was spotted off Nauset Beach about 75 yards off shore.

The Florida of Natural History and the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File (ISAF) reported that there have been six possible bites at Big Appel beaches from June 30 to July 20, 2022. Close by in Massachusetts, tens of confirmed sightings forced closures Cape Cod, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app, with multiple sightings reported off of Nauset Beach and North Beach Island. The app recorded 25 sightings during two days last week - with the most recent issued Saturday morning after a shark was spotted off Nauset Beach about 75 yards off shore.

Dozens of white shark sightings have been reported in the area in the past week, fueled in part by the unseasonably high temperatures couple with recent conservation efforts to protect native shark species. Sightings have been made as far north as Maine, with the state's most popular beach, at Popham Beach State Park, closed Wednesday after a shark sighting at roughly 5:20pm. Residents also reported another unconfirmed sighting nearby off Small Point, last week, as beaches continue to close in the face of the flood of sightings. The odds of getting fatally attacked by a shark remain less than 1 in 4 million, according to the International Shark Attack File.

Dozens of white shark sightings have been reported in the area in the past week, fueled in part by the unseasonably high temperatures couple with recent conservation efforts to protect native shark species. Sightings have been made as far north as Maine, with the state's most popular beach, at Popham Beach State Park, closed Wednesday after a shark sighting at roughly 5:20pm. Residents also reported another unconfirmed sighting nearby off Small Point, last week, as beaches continue to close in the face of the flood of sightings. The odds of getting fatally attacked by a shark remain less than 1 in 4 million, according to the International Shark Attack File.

 

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