A South Florida teen who says he was only trying to help a shark ended up getting a nasty bite during a fishing trip.
Malec Mata, 15, was in Key Largo casting bait when the small nurse shark got wrapped up in their fishing line. So he decided to jump in the water to help.
"It was upside down underneath the water, so I went to go unwrap the line and he turned around and he swam at my leg," Mata told NBC 6.
Mata can be heard screaming in cellphone video when the alarmed shark took a bite at his thigh.
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“I was shocked because I have gone swimming with nurse sharks a lot and they don’t typically act like that," Mata said.
Mata was able to unhook the baby shark, but it sure did leave a mark. The bite was small, but Mata bled a lot.
Mata was stitched up. His mother says she’s glad it wasn't a bigger shark.
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“It could have been worse," Mayra Mata said. "We are still in shock, but it was an accident and he knows better now.”
As for the teen, he says he learned his lesson. But the baby shark attack won’t stop him from doing what he loves.
“You shouldn’t go in the water with a shark. I was just trying to help it," he said. “I will still go back, yeah. It’s just not stopping me.”
