| Date of attack: | January 1st 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location: | 70 miles off Pensacola, Florida |
| Shark species: | Mako shark |
| Name of victim: | Chad Petti |
| Age of victim: | 30 years old |
| Sex of victim: | M |
| Activity: | Spearishing |
| Injury: | Knocked spear out of his hands and fin bitten |
Spearfisher Knocked by Mako Shark Off Pensacola, Florida
On January 1, 2023, 30-year-old Chad Petti was spearfishing for wahoo in the Gulf of Mexico, about 70 miles off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, when he was struck by a 10-foot mako shark.
Petti had just surfaced from a dive when the shark blindsided him, knocking the fin off his right foot and sending him tumbling underwater. The impact nearly knocked the wind out of him and momentarily disoriented him. His fellow divers, Josh Loucks and Nathan Lancaster, saw a large swirl in the water and quickly pulled him onto their boat.
Remarkably, Petti was not injured in the encounter.
