Florida man bitten by two sharks, survives to tell story
WEST PALM BEACH - Marlin Wakeman can barely bend his knee.
"That's about it right there," Wakeman said.
He's on crutches after two sharks bit him. One on his shoulder, and one on his leg, where the teeth dug into his kneecap.
"If I was in the water for another two seconds, there definitely was another shark right there that probably would have grabbed me and who knows what would have happened after that."
Marlin was on Long Island in The Bahamas when he fell into the water while trying to get in a boat. Marlin says the area is known as a shark's den.
"When I ended up in the water, I pretty much knew what was gonna happen," Marlin said.
Adrenaline kicked in after the first bite, he was dragged underwater, but luckily the shark let go. Another one bit him on his shoulder as he was pulling himself back on the boat.
"I didn't feel like sharpness at all. Or like my skin getting cut," Marlin said. "More like something clinched me around my knee. A lot of pressure. And the one on my shoulder felt more like a punch than anything.
The captain of the boat text Marlin's father who knew a doctor at St.Mary's hospital in West Palm Beach. The 24-year-old was flown to the hospital the next day.
"As a parent, I can tell you that time really does stand still," said Marlin's dad Rufus. "Everything in the periphery goes to a blur. It's the worst type of text you can get."
His surgeon says the shark that bit his leg likely was at least seven feet long based on the size of the bite marks. He says the shark just missed biting an artery.
"The fact that there are 20 sharks in there and you were able to get out of there and still have a leg, It's amazing," said Dr. Robert Borrego, the surgeon who treated Marlin.
Marlin's stitches came off Thursday, and Marlin's already thinking about going back on the water. But he will be more careful when getting on the boat from the docks.
CBS News Miami's Steve Maugeri asked Marlin if he would go back to that specific spot where he was bitten.
"Yeah most likely," Marlin said in response.
