Dive instructor relives horror moment he was attacked by bull shark that tore chunk out of his arm

A diving instructor has discussed the horrific moment he was attacked by 6ft-long bull shark that tore a huge chunk out of his arm while he was spearfishing. 

Zack Winegardner, 26, was spearfishing 75ft deep off the coast of Marathon, Florida, on September 6 when a bull shark ‘appeared out of nowhere’ behind him and sunk its razor-sharp teeth into his right arm, tearing a chunk out of it.

After realizing he’d been bitten, Winegardner quickly ascended to the surface and made his way back to shore before he was airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center in Miami.

Zack said that the freak attack by the huge apex predator left him with a gaping hole in his arm, ripped the tendons in his wrist and imprinted teeth marks down the inside of his lower arm.

He spent ten days in hospital where he had an IV bacterial cleanse, around 90 staples and several stitches in his arm. 

Zack Winegardner, 26, was spearfishing 75ft deep off the coast of Marathon, Florida, on September 6 when the attack took place. Pictured right: Zack in hospital with his wife Haley

The instructor of six years was unable to work while he was recovering but six months after ordeal, he is finally back in the water

He also had skin graft to patch up the ‘big chunk’ missing from it.

This was followed by four months of physiotherapy to help him regain the use of his hand.

Despite the intense therapy, Zack is still unable to fully bend his wrist or open his hand.

Zack, who lives in Marathon, said he had no medical insurance at the time of the accident as he was making a switchover from his parents’ policy to his wife’s policy. 

His gran set up a GoFundMe page to help him pay off the staggering $250,000 bill. So far this has raised more than $8,000.

The instructor of six years was unable to work while he was recovering, but six months after ordeal he is finally back in the water and teaching again, despite having fingers that don’t fully function. 

The animal lover believes the shark must have mistaken him for food.

He claims people feeding sharks on the docks are responsible for making them ‘more comfortable’ around humans.

Zack said that the freak shark attack left him with a gaping hole in his arm, ripped the tendons in his wrist and imprinted teeth marks down the inside of his lower arm

Zack said: ‘I went spearfishing off Marathon and shot a fish. I was heading back to the boat and a bull shark came from behind me and just latched onto my arm.

‘The shark, about 6ft, most likely mistook me for food. It was probably going for my stringer and got my arm instead. It bit me, realized it didn’t want me and then bolted.

‘It was like a sharp, quick pain and then pretty much everything went numb after that.’

He added: ‘After it let go, I swam over to my buddies and pointed out that I’d been bitten and we did the ascent up to the surface from about 75ft, got on a boat and headed to a dock.

‘I ripped my tendons in my wrist and it took a big chunk out closer to my elbow and left a lot of teeth marks I guess.

‘It was pretty nuts. I was just thinking about getting back to land and then in the hospital they medicated me enough I don’t think I really thought too much about it.

‘I wasn’t worried about dying but figured I was going to lose the arm. I’m very grateful that I still have it.’

Zack was then rushed to a helicopter where he was flown to the hospital 94 miles away.

He said he had around 90 staples and  countless stitches, as well as a skin graft from his thigh where a big chunk was ripped out. He also noted that he had an open hole in his arm.

Zack said: ‘I don’t have permanent nerve damage but I have bruising that makes some of my fingers not work but I did four months of physical therapy to get my hand functioning.

‘Certain movements don’t work anymore, like my wrist doesn’t bend all the way like it used to and I have two fingers that won’t come up. I can make a fist but can’t open my hand all the way.

‘My right pinky and ring finger don’t work and then my thumb is just numb all the time, but they said that will come back when the nerve bruising goes away.’

Winegardner was a full-time dive instructor in the Florida Keys for more than five years before the incident took place.  

Even on his days off, he enjoyed diving for dinner and helping to get rid of the state’s invasive lionfish.   

Despite suffering during the horrific ordeal, the diver said that it hasn’t made him fearful of the ocean.  

Zack was airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center in Miami. He spent ten days in hospital where he had an IV bacterial cleanse, around 90 staples and several stitches in his arm.

There were 57 unprovoked shark bites worldwide in 2022, most of which took place in the United States and Australia, according to the University of Florida’s international shark attack file, which published its annual data in February.

Consistent with long-term trends, the United States recorded the most unprovoked shark bites in 2022, with 41 confirmed cases, down from 47 the year before. 

In 2022, 16 unprovoked shark attacks took place in Florida, forming 28 per cent of unprovoked bites worldwide. The state recorded two amputation, but no fatalities. 

Five of the attacks worldwide were fatal – down from nine deaths in 2021 and 10 the previous year, the university’s researchers found.