Bay area man in fair condition, recovering from shark bite | News

ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fla. - The victim of a shark attack is in fair condition, recovering in an area hospital Sunday night. A friend said Charles Wickersham lost about five pints of blood after he was bitten by a 9-10 foot bull shark.

"You hear horror stories about stuff happening, but you never think it's going to happen off an island here," said that friend, Max Gazzo.

Gazzo was one of six people with 21-year-old Wickersham when he was attacked. It happened Saturday afternoon when the group was spear fishing about five miles off the coast.  Gazzo says Wickersham was in the water with his spear, then he heard him say, "I just got bit by a shark."

"Within 5-6 seconds you can just see the blood coming out from his leg there and you knew it was bad when you could see that amount of blood coloring the water red," said Gazzo. "Very, very scary."

His friends pulled Wickersham into the boat and called 911. The gaping wound to his left thigh was about 12 inches deep. By the time the group reached shore at the Rod & Reel Pier, rescue crews were waiting and airlifted Wickersham to the hospital.

Gazzo says Wickersham actually punched the shark once in the nose after he was bit and it swam off. We're told he will probably be in the hospital for another week or so and should be walking again in the next 6-8 weeks.

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