Shark Bite Survivor: “He Just Thrashed Me”

JUNO BEACH, FLORIDA — Steve Reinhardt was attacked by a shark after just 15 minutes in the ocean.

Last week, the 60-year-old Reinhardt – who keeps active through running, surfing and training MMA – was about 100 yards offshore in Juno Beach when he felt shark teeth clamp down on his arm.

“It just felt something hit my arm and thrash it,” Reinhardt told WPTV. “I lifted my arm up and it looked like a Halloween prop.”

Reinhardt said he saw his muscles hanging as his bone protruded and blood spilled everywhere.

“He bit down on it so his whole head was on my arm in his mouth all the way and he just thrashed me,” Reinhardt recalled. “I looked back, and it looked like there was an oil slick of blood and I was like, “Oh… that’s not good.’”

“I NEVER THOUGHT I’D GET BIT”

“It didn’t even hurt,” Reinhardt added, recalling the adrenaline-filled experience. “I mean you hear it all the time, but it didn’t hurt.”

Holding his arm up out of the water, Reinhardt said he swam for shore, hoping he wouldn’t bleed out. Onshore, a bystander helped yank a string out of Reinhardt’s wetsuit and the two tied it tight as a tourniquet to help stop the bleeding.

“I never thought I’d get bit,” Reinhardt said. “I grew up in Florida. I’ve been doing this for 30 years, at least.”

“SUPER LUCKY”

Assessing the damage, Dr. Matthew Ramseyer of St. Mary’s Medical Center said it was the worst shark bite he’s ever managed. But Dr. Ramseyer had good news for Reinhardt – there was no need to amputate his arm.

After two surgeries and skin grafting on his leg, Reinhardt says he “feels really lucky – super lucky.”

“I can’t believe what the doctors did,” Reinhardt said. “I saw it. It was mangled. And they put it back together. Incredible. Doctors did a great job.”

According to the International Shark Attack File, Florida is the world’s leader for shark attacks, racking up 259 non-fatal bites from 2012 to 2021. Although unconfirmed, Reinhardt believes he was bit by a bull shark.