Shark Week dangers hit home as man is badly bitten while saving pregnant fiancée from harm

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A Georgia man in his early 20s is recovering after experiencinga shark bitewhile protecting his pregnant fiancée at a Florida beach.

The man was wading in waist-deep water near the Dunlawton Beach Approach in Daytona Beach Shores shortly before 5:30 p.m.on Saturday — just hours before this year’s Shark Week kicked off �

“He was treated on scene by Beach Safety personnel and transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” officials said.

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High said his first priority was getting his pregnant fiancée safely out of the water.

“I realized right away it was a shark because of the way it bit down on my foot, but I was more worried about getting my fiancée out of the water,”.

Jacorey High smiling and wearing a baseball hat.

Jacorey High, pictured above, was bitten by a shark on Saturday at Daytona Beach, Florida.The incident happened just as Shark Week this year gets underway. (Jacorey High/GoFundMe)

High said the shark continued to pursue him as he tried to escape.

“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 told the station.

Afterreaching the shore, High realized the severity of his injuries.

Great white shark swims in the water near Gansbaai, South Africa.

The shark (not pictured) that bit a Georgia man is estimated to be about 4 feet long.It bit the man’s left foot and ankle.(iStock)

“I didn’t really feel it until I got to the hospital, when they started giving me medicine for it,” he said.

Doctors performed surgery on High’s foot after the attack, and he told the station he expectshis recoverycould take about three months.

“Hoping that it didn’t really mess up anything important in my foot so that I can go back to work,” High said.

com/category/travel/general/travel-safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">beachgoers to stay alertthis summer as sightings have increased along several U.S.coastlines.

People enjoy swimming and surfing at Daytona Beach on Labor Day.

After reaching shore, the injured man (not pictured) realized the severity of his injuries.He says his recovery will take about three months. (Paul Hennessy/ SOPA Images/ LightRocket via Getty Images)

com/category/science/wild-nature/sharks" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shark bitesremain unusual, even during the busy summer beach season.

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“People should always be aware of local conditions and listen to lifeguards, but shark bites are very rare,” he emphasized.

He recommended that people avoid murky water, that they stay away from areas where large schools of fish are visible and that they avoid places where other people are actively fishing.

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Shark Week 2026runs from July 26 to Aug.1 on the Discovery Channel.