Shark bites man who was boating off Florida coast, leaving him in critical condition

A shark attack off Florida’s east coast left a man aboard a boat with a “severe bite to his right arm” on Friday, according to authorities.

A shark attack off Florida’s east coast left a man aboard a boat with a “severe bite to his right arm” on Friday, according to authorities. The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit found the victim with a critical injury when they responded to the shark attack at about 11:15 a.m. local time, the sheriff’s office said in a social media post. The shark bit the man’s forearm and he was losing blood, authorities said. “Acting swiftly, a deputy boarded the vessel and applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding,” the sheriff’s office said. “The deputy then piloted the boat to the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp, where Fernandina Beach Fire Rescue was waiting.” The man was then airlifted to a local hospital for treatment. While he is in critical condition, he is expected to recover, the sheriff’s office said. The incident comes after two separate shark attacks within just 90 minutes of each other left three people injured at neighboring Walton County, Florida, beaches earlier this month. Shark activity is typically at its peak in Florida waters between April and October, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.