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STUART, Fla. — A Florida man is recovering from a shark bite just over a decade after being bitten at the same beach.
Cole Taschman, 28, was surfing with two friends at Bathtub Beach in Stuart on the state's east coast last Friday afternoon when the attack occurred, Treasure Coast Newspapers reported.
"As I was paddling against the current, my feet are behind me, they were laying flat on the board, and an about 8- or 9-foot either bull shark or tiger shark came up behind me and snatched my feet," Taschman said.
Three tendons were completely torn and one was partially torn in the attack. Two surgeries have left the fishing charter captain with 93 stitches and about a dozen staples. He spent four days at the hospital before heading home to recover, and he might need another surgery.
Taschman was 16 years old in 2013 when a blacktip reef shark bit his hand while surfing at the same beach.
"Same beach, same exact rock, same place, same reef, same everything," Taschman said.
Taschman's girlfriend has launched a GoFundMe* fundraiser to help with bills. And Ohana Surf Shop in Stuart is raffling off a surfboard or a fishing charter trip with 100% of the proceeds going to Taschman.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
