ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., – A St. Augustine High School freshman is recovering after being bitten by a shark off of St. Augustine Beach on Saturday morning.
14-year-old Peyton McGinn spoke to News4Jax anchor, Scott Johnson about the incident over Zoom.
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McGinn says he was out surfing off St. Augustine Beach near 11th street, when he was attacked by a shark approximately four to five feet long.
“I had just caught a wave with my surf board and I was just about to start paddling out and the shark came up behind me and grabbed onto my foot,” McGinn said, “and like, tore it up pretty bad.” The teen said he was able to “wobble” back onto land and laid down before getting some help.
The 14-year old was surprised by the attack saying, “We had just got out there I had been surfing for like 10 minutes when it happened.”
McGinn says he’s now received 25 stitches in his foot for the bite. He will be on crutches for about ten days until doctors take out the stitches and re-assess.
His family says the teen hopes he will be able to go back to school once it starts, on August 31st. McGinn says his biggest concern is being able to play football this season at school.