Jacorey High, 22, is being hailed as a hero after he pushed his pregnant fiancée to safety and fought off a medium-sized shark while swimming in waist-deep water at Florida's Daytona Beach on July 25. He is now recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery for extensive damage to his foot, which doctors say will take about three months to heal.
Details of the Attack
Speaking from his hospital bed, High recounted feeling something sharp clamp onto his left leg. "I realised right away it was a shark because of the way it bit down on my foot, but I was more worried about getting my fiancé out of the water," High said. He added: "Then it came up to try to get my arm, so I had to push it away from me. I ran, and it tried to get my other leg." He described the shark as grey on top and roughly the size of his leg to his waist. Marine experts and local officials are yet to confirm the exact species.
The 22-year-old revealed he only realized the full extent of his injuries after he pulled himself out of the water when he noticed a large amount of blood pouring from his foot. "I didn't really feel it until I got to the hospital when they started giving me medicine for it," he said. Doctors fear he may have sustained more permanent injuries, but only time will tell. The hero dad-to-be said: "Hoping that it didn't really mess up anything important in my foot so that I can go back to work."
Fatal Shark Attack in Australia
The Florida mauling is the latest shark attack in a string of recent incidents in 2026, with a 39-year-old man killed in another shark attack in Australia on Sunday. The man was bitten near Kennedy Shoal on the Great Barrier Reef, a shallow reef around 28 miles off the coast of Queensland. He was diving from a boat with three friends during a spearfishing trip. A spokesperson for the Queensland Police Service said the man was rushed to shore where he was met by an ambulance, but he died shortly afterwards. "The man had been spearfishing when he was attacked and died from a critical head injury," Police Inspector Elaine Burns told reporters. The victim, a Cairns resident, was brought by boat around noon to the tourist town of Hull Heads. He had sustained injuries not compatible with life, the ambulance service said. Kennedy Shoal is a shallow coral reef popular with recreational fishers. Divers are also attracted to the Lady Bowen, a 19th century shipwreck. Fishers reported bull sharks had been seen in the area before the attack.
The death follows a similar incident in which a 38-year-old man was killed by a 13ft great white shark earlier this month. Steve Mattabonni had been spearfishing with a friend when he was attacked at Horseshoe Reef, near Perth, Western Australia, police said. Aerial footage showed him being rushed to shore after he was bitten, with paramedics performing CPR. A police spokesperson said: "About 9.55am on Saturday 16 May 2026, emergency services were advised of a possible shark attack off the coast of Rottnest Island. A 38-year-old man was in the water at Horseshoe Reef when he was believed to have been bitten by a shark. The man was conveyed by vessel to shore, where he was met by SJA WA paramedics."
Statistics and Context
There are around 20 shark attacks in Australia every year but the vast majority are not fatal, according to data from conservation groups. In January dozens of beaches along Australia’s east coast, including in Sydney, were closed after four shark attacks in two days. Those attacks came as heavy rains created murky water that attracts sharks and reduces their visibility. Shark attacks are not the greatest hazard on Australia’s waters – far more people drown on the country’s beaches each year. There have been an estimated 1,300 shark attacks that have been recorded since 1791. Some 260 of those have since resulted in death.
