Cole Taschman was surfing at Bathtub Beach in Martin County with friends when he turned around and saw a shark biting his legs.
“I looked behind me and he was he kind of was just like, on the back of me,” said Taschman, who also runs Cole Tashy Charters. “I just looked and I saw last-second him kind of going under and then he just kind of moved towards the side. I could kind of see his silhouette.
Shockingly, this is not Taschman's first encounter with a shark, being bitten in 2013 at the same beach. This time, the bite did significantly more damage, estimating the shark was seven to eight feet long.
“There's no comparison,” Taschman said. “It's like comparing an Olympic athlete to a high school athlete like, you know, the amount of trauma. It's so hectic how much worse this one was.”
He described the shark as a “beast” to WPTV Reporter Ethan Stein, and thought it was a tiger or bull shark.
After being bit, Taschman caught a wave back into shore where he met his friends and a food truck operator, who used surfboard leashes as a tourniquet for his legs and then drove him to the hospital. Taschman said they didn’t call 911 because they felt like their experience from being on the water consistently would provide care faster than waiting for emergency services.
“I actually blacked out,” he said. “I almost passed out from shock or losing enough blood. So Ana (Tachman's girlfriend) is in the back slapping me, and Zach is driving like a madman trying to get me to the hospital. He’s dumping water on my head. They kept me awake, so thank god.”
Taschman has had two surgeries to repair three tendons and received 93 stitches. He’s trying to crowd-fund his medical bills on GoFundMe because he doesn’t have health insurance.
Taschman said he’s thankful for his friends and hopes his story is a good reminder to not surf alone.
“It’s freaky,” he said. “That’s just the heaviest thing ever. You know, you think a lot about family and think a lot about, life. You know, it changes you. So definitely don't surf alone.”
