‘I lost my (expletive) pinky!’ Parrish fisherman’s Florida Keys shark bite goes viral
A video went viral after a local fisherman had an unfortunate run-in with a shark in the Florida Keys.
Brett Reeder, of Parrish, spent Sunday fishing with his family, but the last catch of the day sent him to hospital in a helicopter. While reaching to retrieve a hook from a 6-foot-long lemon shark, the fish grabbed his arm and nearly severed his pinky.
Video of the incident posted on Facebook and TikTok has amassed more than 5 million views. Reeder’s wife Mandy posted the video on her account with the caption, “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
“I lost my g--damn pinky!” Reeder says in the video.
State police said Reeder made it back to the shore before being airlifted to Miami’s Jackson South Medical Center, the Miami Herald reported.
In a post-bite video update, Reeder appeared to be in good spirits, despite the cast on his arm.
“I got unlucky when he spun around and caught the top of my hand and started twisting. I could’ve sworn I heard a pop,” Reeder said.
Warning: The following video includes graphic language and content.
“I kind of freaked out a bit,” he added, recalling his blood pressure dropping on the helicopter while medics gave him a blood transfusion.
Comments on the social media posts highlight the intensity of the video, which includes graphic content and shows the shark’s face covered with blood.
“By the amount of blood on the shark’s mouth, I think he got the pinky,” one person commented.
Others complimented Reeder for how he handled the accident. Right after the shark bite, he walks away from the camera and curses about the possibility of losing his pinky.
“That’s how people react when they drop their phone in the water,” another user wrote. “Not lose an appendage.”
According to Reeder, doctors say his pinky finger could still be saved, but it will take some time to find out for sure.
This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 5:30 PM.
