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Shark bites leg of man spearfishing off Florida Keys

Posted at 2:21 PM, Jun 08, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-08 14:37:22-04

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) - A man says sharks are "a superior hunter" after being bitten by one while spearfishing in Florida.

The Citizen reports (http://bit.ly/2sHsLVX ) that Parker Simpson of Key West posted a YouTube video of his encounter with a reef shark Sunday in the waters off the Florida Keys.

Simpson was spearfishing in 50 feet (15.24 meters) of water about 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) off Key West, the southernmost city in the continental U.S.

The video shows an 8-foot shark charging Simpson, leaving a 3-inch (7.6-centimeter) gash below his left knee.

Simpson swam to his friends' boat, which took him to land. The 23-year-old got 50 stitches in his leg at a hospital and is walking with crutches.

Simpson said sharks are "a superior hunter and I still love them."

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

WARNING: VIDEO BELOW CONTAINS SOME GRAPHIC IMAGES