A man who was bitten by a shark while swimming at a Texas beach earlier this month is now being treated for flesh-eating bacteria related to the shark bite.
Blaine Shelton was admitted to the hospital again this week after he was attacked on August 9 while swimming near Boliver Island’s Crystal Beach. The 42-year-old was about 200 yards from the shore when the shark sunk its teeth into his thigh, just above his knee.
Mr. Shelton told to one of the reporters on Tuesday that after he was released from the hospital last week, he began experiencing extreme pain around his shark bite wound.
“I’d heard there was bacteria in the water, I just never treated it serious. But to tell you the truth, if you’ve got a scratch on your arm or your leg, I wouldn’t get in that water, and if you do, bring some alcohol with you to clean it the second you get out. It’s nothing to play with,” Shelton said.
“You see all that dried stuff right there? That’s what was dying”, Shelton told the news station, referencing the tissue the flesh-eating bacteria has taken around his infected wound.
“Thank God they’re helping me with the pain because the other day when I came in I could hardly walk in here,” he said.
Shelton was bitten by the shark while swimming alone about 200 yards from the shore.
“When I saw the fin, I knew it wasn’t a porpoise”, Shelton said. “So, I turn around to get out of there, and that’s when he grabbed me by the leg.”
He was able to swim to the shore and a friend flagged down a deputy for help. An expert told him later it was likely a seven-foot bull shark.
“When I did hear that my friend’s daughter saw him behind me is when I started going. ´Man, all it would’ve taken, if he would’ve grabbed me one more time, I might not have been able to swim and, in which case, I’m fish bait. ´”
Flesh-eating bacteria can be deadly, the condition spreads quickly. Symptoms include blisters, fever, fatigue and pain worse than a person would expect based on the wound’s appearance and it can lead to amputations.
The 42-year-old construction worker is expecting his medical bill to top at least $100,000, a high price to pay for what was supposed to be a fun day at the beach.
Via: FoxNews // KHOU11