Re: 07/07/2011 Nicholas Vossler ( Texas )
Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 1:00 am
'Mum, start praying': Shark attack boy, 12, tells mother as he lay cradled in her arms
A 12-year-old boy who nearly lost his foot in a vicious shark attack told his mother she should 'start praying' as he lay bleeding in his father's arms.
Nicholas Vossler had to be dragged away from the bull shark by a family friend off the Texas Gulf coast last week.
Nicholas - who has had four operations so far - is expected to make a full recovery and doctors are confident they have been able to save the foot.
Lucky: Nicholas Vossler had to be dragged away from the bull shark by a family friend
Speaking to MSNBC, Nicholas said: 'We were swimming in the surf just having a good time, waist deep in water and a shark came up and bit my foot.
'I was in real shock.'
His mother Alisha Vossler said when she first saw Nicholas in the friend's arms she 'knew it was serious.'
She managed to flag down a passing speed boat that whisked the injured boy to a waiting helicopter.
She said: 'When I put his head in my lap he said, 'you need to start praying.''
Nicholas' father Cecil said: 'I turned around and my friend Mark was holding Nicholas in his arms and carrying him towards me.
'When I saw his mangled foot and a lot of blood I knew God was with us.
'After the first shock we snapped out of that and you start thinking clearly.'
While calling for help, Mr Vossler took off his shirt and wrapped it around his son's foot to staunch the bleeding.
Speaking to the Star-telegram, family friend Mark Constien says his family was at Matagorda Island late last week when the boy was attacked by a bull shark in less than 4 feet of water.
Mr Constien told the paper how he held Nicholas up as his father tried to stem the blood flow.
He said: 'I was pretty calm about it.
'At the time it happened I wasn't aware there was a shark. I never saw it. I just saw that Nicholas was hurt and bleeding.'
He added that Nicholas was making good progress.
He said: 'He had a couple of surgeries and has a couple more to come.
'The prognosis for recovery is good. It sounds like he still has a tough road ahead of him.
'Cecil said he's expecting some of the surgery to go into next week, and he may be in the hospital for a week after that.'
Lance Robinson, a Texas Parks and Wildlife official said there was more chance of winning the lottery than being the victim of a shark attack.
He said: ' Humans are not on the shark's menu.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
A 12-year-old boy who nearly lost his foot in a vicious shark attack told his mother she should 'start praying' as he lay bleeding in his father's arms.
Nicholas Vossler had to be dragged away from the bull shark by a family friend off the Texas Gulf coast last week.
Nicholas - who has had four operations so far - is expected to make a full recovery and doctors are confident they have been able to save the foot.
Lucky: Nicholas Vossler had to be dragged away from the bull shark by a family friend
Speaking to MSNBC, Nicholas said: 'We were swimming in the surf just having a good time, waist deep in water and a shark came up and bit my foot.
'I was in real shock.'
His mother Alisha Vossler said when she first saw Nicholas in the friend's arms she 'knew it was serious.'
She managed to flag down a passing speed boat that whisked the injured boy to a waiting helicopter.
She said: 'When I put his head in my lap he said, 'you need to start praying.''
Nicholas' father Cecil said: 'I turned around and my friend Mark was holding Nicholas in his arms and carrying him towards me.
'When I saw his mangled foot and a lot of blood I knew God was with us.
'After the first shock we snapped out of that and you start thinking clearly.'
While calling for help, Mr Vossler took off his shirt and wrapped it around his son's foot to staunch the bleeding.
Speaking to the Star-telegram, family friend Mark Constien says his family was at Matagorda Island late last week when the boy was attacked by a bull shark in less than 4 feet of water.
Mr Constien told the paper how he held Nicholas up as his father tried to stem the blood flow.
He said: 'I was pretty calm about it.
'At the time it happened I wasn't aware there was a shark. I never saw it. I just saw that Nicholas was hurt and bleeding.'
He added that Nicholas was making good progress.
He said: 'He had a couple of surgeries and has a couple more to come.
'The prognosis for recovery is good. It sounds like he still has a tough road ahead of him.
'Cecil said he's expecting some of the surgery to go into next week, and he may be in the hospital for a week after that.'
Lance Robinson, a Texas Parks and Wildlife official said there was more chance of winning the lottery than being the victim of a shark attack.
He said: ' Humans are not on the shark's menu.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/