Matt Bender, a 40-year-old avid surfer from Winter Park, Florida, experienced a terrifying shark attack while surfing at New Smyrna Beach. Tragically, the entire incident occurred in only five feet of water. Once freed, Bender was in for a harrowing ordeal that would further test his toughness and ingenuity.
During the attack, Bender described the moment as “just, like, a lightning strike — the shark came out of nowhere.” In the process, he could tell as the animal began to bite down on his arm, describing the feeling as akin to “a bear trap.” So reacting instinctively, he dropped the shark at once, and it disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Although in the wake of the attack, Bender showed exceptional grace under pressure. He immediately improvised what he could—a surfboard leash and fashioned it into a tourniquet to stem the flow of blood. Then, he belly paddled back to shore, boogie boarding on his surfboard. After landing on the beach, Bender waved down assistance from a local girl and her dad. They immediately notified lifeguards, who were able to rush to his rescue.
Lifeguards and paramedics worked on Bender on the beach before he was rushed to a local hospital. There, he received emergency surgery on his crushed arm in a surgery center in Daytona Beach. The surgery was intensive, but members of the medical staff reported feeling hopeful that Johnson will make a full recovery. Looking ahead, Bender was able to move his hand almost immediately and is described as having a good prognosis.
Bender continues to make surfing pilgrimage to New Smyrna Beach. Home for him, even after his terrifying experience, is Hawaii, which he calls home because it has the best waves in the nation. He’s had many shark adventures in his surfing life, including the experience of great hammerheads well over 15 feet long. Reflecting on his experiences, he stated, “It just comes with the territory. I’m very fortunate that it wasn’t worse.”
As he considers the next chapter, Bender is planning to be back on the water in a few months. He could not ever say how much that support helped out in the time during this and past this, but appreciated that care.
“I was yelling ‘help.’ They saw the blood. They reacted well. I wasn’t freaking out. And I think that was a huge blessing.” – Matt Bender
