Spearfisherman Attacked by Bull Shark Says It is a ‘Blessing’ He Stored His Hand

Run-ins with sharks are simply a part of the sport whenever you’re spearfishing within the Gulf of Mexico. And Wesley Fayard, an skilled scuba diver from Mississippi, has skilled loads of these. However on June 29, whereas diving roughly 50 miles off the coast, he had his closest name but. After spearing two mangrove snappers in deep water, Fayard was blindsided by a 6-foot bull shark that attempted to steal the fish off his stringer. The assault may have been far worse, and he says he was blessed to swim away with each arms.

“I’ve had loads of encounters with sharks and occasions after I’ve gotten a little bit shaken in my boots, so to talk,” Fayard tells Out of doors Life. “More often than not, you’ll see the shark fairly early on, earlier than he’s coming in to bump you or actually examine on you. However that simply wasn’t the case this time.”

Fayard went out that day with another members of the DeepWater Mafia, an area dive membership that coordinates group outings within the Gulf. He says he joined a visit final minute and hopped aboard membership member’s 31-foot Contender together with 5 different divers, one among whom was a health care provider with expertise working within the ER. Fayard didn’t know this once they left the marina — the 2 hadn’t met earlier than — however having a health care provider on board would turn out to be essential later that afternoon.

The group left Pascagoula round 7 a.m. and ran roughly 60 miles to the south. They made a pair dives and spearfished round some pyramids, that are giant synthetic reefs designed to draw fish.

“A number of the guys shot some good mangrove snapper, and we undoubtedly had a superb field of fish,” Fayard says of their first two dives. “I noticed a shark on the second dive, however it was identical to a standard day. You see the shark are available, he’s sort of swimming round, however I didn’t actually pay him no thoughts and he didn’t actually pay me no thoughts.”

From there, the group labored their means inland. They stopped to spearfish at a pair extra pyramids after which headed for a pure reef roughly 50 miles offshore that a few of the guys knew effectively. Two of them dove down and located some fish, however they didn’t stick round for lengthy.

“They got here up with a pair good snapper and stated the sharks had been being aggressive. There have been 5 or 6 bull sharks there, they usually stored circling [the guys] fairly tight,” says Fayard, who was up subsequent to dive. “It wasn’t actually that large of a deal to me, I’ve been in that scenario earlier than, however we moved about 1,000 ft over to a different reef in the identical space.”

Trying again on the incident, Fayard thinks that one of many aggressive bull sharks should have adopted the dive boat to the second reef. Like different predators, sharks can be taught to affiliate people with free meals, and Fayard says that on previous dives, he’s watched the identical shark observe a ship from spot to identify. On the time, nevertheless, he was centered on discovering his personal fish. He dove by a murky prime layer right down to a max depth of 113 ft, the place it was comparatively darkish close to the underside.

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Fayard speared an enormous, 15-pound purple snapper instantly. It wasn’t an ideal shot, so he needed to tussle with the fish for some time earlier than he may string it up. After reloading, he speared and fought one other good snapper after which added it to the stringer that was connected to his hip. However when he checked his environment once more, he may not see the reef. Holding the speargun in his left hand, he appeared round for which route to go.

“I used to be about 20 ft off the underside, and I keep in mind trying to my proper, and there he was. He was over my proper shoulder and coming from behind me,” Fayard says of the six-foot-long bull shark. “He was solely about 4 or 5 ft away, and it startled me. So, I turned in a short time, backing away and turning my physique towards him.”

Fayard thinks the sudden motion triggered the bull to go for the 2 snappers earlier than they obtained away. The fish had been nonetheless connected to his hip and floating up in opposition to his facet when the shark attacked.

“He closed these 4 ft in a break up second,” says Fayard, “and all I may see was bubbles. It was simply, bam, my hand’s in his mouth, and I’m screaming, attempting to tug away.”

After thrashing on his proper hand for a couple of seconds, the shark let go and disappeared simply as shortly because it confirmed up. Fayard swam for the floor, each snappers nonetheless on his hip, solely pausing for a minute throughout his ascent to decompress. As a result of he was carrying gloves, he couldn’t inform how unhealthy the wound was, however he knew he needed to get out of the water quick.

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As soon as on the floor, his dive buddies hurried over and pulled him within the boat. The physician who was onboard went straight into ER mode, eradicating Fayard’s glove and wrapping his hand tightly with a towel to stem the bleeding. The boat’s captain used his inReach to contact emergency providers, and by the point they had been 10 miles out, a Wildlife and Fisheries boat confirmed as much as re-dress Fayard’s hand and escort them into the marina. From there, Fayard was transported to at least one hospital, after which one other, the place he underwent surgical procedure to restore the severed tendons in his proper hand and wrist.

The medical doctors informed Fayard that he may lose some power in a pair fingers, however they count on his hand to totally get better. Which, for him, feels extremely fortunate. He says the glove made an enormous distinction that day, and it was one among a number of elements that made the assault much less bloody than it may have been.

“I had an excellent minimize resistant and puncture resistant glove. And that saved my hand unquestionably. I wouldn’t nonetheless have my pinky and ring finger, that’s for positive,” says Fayard, who plans to proceed spearfishing within the Gulf, however with extra safeguards and newfound respect for bull sharks. “I do know that I may have achieved issues in a different way. However I additionally know that it may have been lots worse.

“I name it a blessing,” he continues. “I’m a Christian man, and I do imagine that God was searching for me.”