COCOA BEACH, FL (Florida Today) - Garrett Gollihugh may not feel so lucky today on his 11th birthday.
The Columbus, Ohio, resident spent part of Tuesday in surgery at Cape Canaveral Hospital after being bitten by a shark at Cocoa Beach.
"I guess we're lucky, it could have been worse," said his father, Gary. "But we're ready to go home."
Garrett's bite is the second confirmed in Brevard County this year. Last year there were four.
The Gollihugh family is visiting Gary's parents for Thanksgiving. They were playing in the surf Tuesday morning about a half-mile south of Lori Wilson Park.
"I was on my knees in waist-high water and I felt something bite me," Garrett said moments before being wheeled up for surgery on the deep cuts. "The second time it bit me, the shark held on and started shaking my foot."
Garrett screamed, and his father, who was about 15 feet away, jumped to his feet.
"It was a blood-curdling scream," Gary Gollihugh said. "I originally thought it was a jellyfish. But he had the presence of mind to yell, 'Shark.' There were a lot of people there."
Garrett showed his heavily bandaged foot despite obvious pain.
"I was just floating around and going underwater," he said.
According to the International Shark Attack File maintained by the University of Florida, there have been 98 reported shark attacks in Brevard since 1882. The last fatality was 1934.
Garrett was in the water with his 12-year-old sister, Hannah, when the attack occurred.
"I heard him scream and saw his facial reaction and that's what scared me," she said, standing by her brother's gurney.
Asked whether he would consider swimming in the ocean again, Garrett shook his head.
"Probably not for a little while," he said. "At least not for a couple of weeks."
11/27/2009 7:12:58 PM
