VIDEOS: On Wednesday, survivors of local shark attacks gathered at St. Mary’s Medical Center to share their stories and reunite with the doctors and first responders who helped save their lives. Or, as critical care surgeon Dr. Robert Borrego, said, to share their “success stories.” “The most important thing is to survive the bite,” he said. Clad in a ‘Jaws’ T-shirt, Dr. Borrego, who’s become known as the “shark doctor,” expanded on research on certain bacteria in sharks’ mouths, and how that can affect shark bite victims’ wounds and treatment.
He also provided data showing Palm Beach County ranks third in Florida for the number of shark attacks. Jeffrey Joel, a retired Palm Beach County firefighter, is one of the newer shark bite cases. He was just released from St. Mary’s on Monday, after attempting to free a lemon shark caught in a fish stringer, four miles off the Jupiter Inlet this past weekend. Joel films and swims with sharks, and the bite was captured on film. Bryan Bures with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue recounted responding to the scene, and as an avid diver himself, was worried about massive hemorrhaging, due to him being bit on his forearm.
“The worst part of the whole call for me, being a diver, I had to cut his wet suit,” Bures joked. Joel said he recommends wearing a full wet suit and dressing in black to protect yourself, since sharks don’t see well. “They see contrast, so if you have white skin or jewelry on, they’re gonna come and check it out. And they don’t have hands, so they check it out with their mouths. Nine times out of 10, it’s mistaken identity for people that get bit,” Joel said.
