DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. — A Georgia man said he was bitten by a shark as he attempted to move his fiancée to safety on a beach in Florida over the weekend.
Jacorey High, 21, of Henry County, said he was wading in water at the Dunlawton Beach approach in Daytona Beach Shores on Saturday, WSB-TV reported.
High’s family told the television station that the man stepped in to protect his fiancée from the shark, which was estimated to be 4 feet in length.
The shark then bit High’s left foot, he said.
Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue Director Tamra Malphurs wrote in an emailed statement on Monday that the incident occurred shortly before 5:30 p.m. ET on July 25.
“He was treated on scene by Beach Safety personnel and transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” she wrote.
Despite losing a lot of blood, High ran for help, a move his family told WSB-TV more than likely saved his life.
“I was floating a little bit in the wave, and that’s when the shark bit down on my foot, and then it tried to go for my arm, so I pushed it away from me,” High told the television station. “As I was running, it tried to get my other leg.”
Family members said that High suffered extensive ligament and tendon damage to his foot.
High was released from a Florida hospital on Monday.
According to the International Shark Attack File, Volusia County leads Florida in shark bites each year. The country recorded six reported shark bites during 2025; the state had 11 overall.
High’s family has started a GoFundMe page to help offset medical costs.
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