Chris Myers, the Denver man whose legs were bitten by what one expert surmised to be a great white shark off Cape Cod on Monday, said that he was feeling "quite terrific" given the circumstances.
But chilling 911 calls released by Truro Police reveal the initial moments of panic and helplessness experienced by beachgoers at Ballston Beach following the attack.
The caller described large amounts of blood from Myers' wounds after he made it back to shore.
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In an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America," Myers said that although he was able to swim following the attack, he became dizzy and wondered if he was losing large amounts of blood.
Myers said he was attacked while swimming through deep water out to a sand bar 400 to 500 yards from the shore. His son, J.J., said that the reality of the situation did not hit him until after they returned to land.
Truro police officer Scott Holway, a first responder to the attack, described the flesh below Myers' knees as being torn to the bone in some places, ABC News reports.
This is not the first incident involving a shark to occur this summer in Cape Cod.
Earlier in July, what was initially called a great white shark stalked a kayaker off Nauset Beach. A photographer snapped a picture of the man looking back at the shark's fin behind him.
The International Shark Attack File reported 12 deaths from unprovoked shark attacks around the world in 2011. Although shark attacks often make news, some activists point out that humans are a greater threat to the animals,
estimating that 30 to 70 million sharks are killed in fisheries each year.
Shark populations face danger from finning, bycatch and fishing pressure, according to advocacy group Oceana.
Cape Cod Shark Attack 911 Call:
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