Teen surfer mauled by shark in Florida: ‘I could have lost my arm’

A championship-winning teenage surfer nearly lost an arm when a shark mauled him as he reached for his surfboard.

Teddy Wittemann, a member of the USA Junior Surfing U16 boys team, went to grab his surfboard during a surf session Friday in Melbourne Beach when the shark took hold of his left arm.

“I see it right here on the inside of my arm and along my body shaking its head and thrashing around,” the 16-year-old told Fox35 Orlando.

“I could have lost my arm.”

A couple on the beach who happened to be neighbors of the teen, Dave and Toie Crespi, came to the rescue. Dave took his shirt off and tied it to Teddy’s bleeding arm while Toie called 911, Florida Today reported.

“I was looking at my arm freaking out, but trying to do the right thing. Another thought going through my mind was I’m bleeding out, I’m using this bloody arm to paddle in what if another shark comes,” Wittemann told the outlet.

“The first thoughts were, ‘Am I going to be able to surf contests again?’”

He was treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center.

The teen surfer was released from the hospital Wednesday following the incident, where the shark estimated to be between 5 and 6 feet long left his arm bloodied and full of teeth marks.

Wittemann escaped with no severe damage, getting 30 stitches and needing to wear a cast for a month — saying that it “could have been so much worse.”

The teen is a two-time East Coast champion with aspirations for a pro surfing career, and is so serious he is even homeschooled to be able to spend more time in the water.

Despite his battle scars, Teddy’s doctors say he should be able to surf again after his arm heals.

“We’re just praying against infections,” said his father, Ted Wittemann, told Fox35.

The teen, who is part of the USA Junior Surfing U16 Boys Team, will miss several upcoming competitions. But Witteman is still filling his calendar with upcoming milestones to get back in the water, the outlet reports.