A Florida fisherman is reeling after having an encounter with not one, but two, man-eating creatures.
David Zinn was fishing near sunset with his stepdad in Port St. Lucie, a city south-west of Orlando, on May 29, when he felt a tug on his line.
He was shocked to find he had caught a juvenile bull shark.
Together the pair rushed down to remove the hook from the shark’s “razor mouth”.
That’s when fishing took a dangerous turn.
“Down by the water, a five foot (1.5 metre) gator lunged at us,” Zinn told 9news.com.au.
“We almost fell down the rocks into the water with both of them.
“Took us by surprise. In the end both the gator and shark swam away safely.
Florida has, on average, seven unprovoked alligator bites per year, data from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows.
The US state also has the dubious reputation of being the shark attack capital of the world, according to the International Shark Attack File.
While bull sharks are deemed an “aggressive species” that can range from saltwater and freshwater environments, marine biologist Chris Lowe told 9news.com.au in January, blacktip sharks are likely responsible for the majority of bites there.
Zinn has been left buzzing since his close encounter.
“(It) was a day on the water I will never forget,” he said.
“Hope to think this would have made Steve Irwin proud. He is a legend.”
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