Man bitten by shark at Satellite Beach

SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A man was bitten by a shark in Satellite Beach, authorities say.

A good Samaritan surfer, visiting from Munich, Germany, said he found the 47-year-old victim bleeding badly onshore when he rushed to his side to help treat him for what he called a shark bite.

It happened at Patrick Air Force's Blockhouse Beach around 12:30 on Thursday.  Johannes Friess says he was surfing when his girlfriend yelled for him to rush to the bleeding victim's aid. The good Samaritan paddled out of the water and used the leash off his own surfboard as a tourniquet to slow the bleeding until first responders arrived.

"He was cool" said Friess. "He didn't panic at all."

Friess says the longest cut on the surfer's foot was three inches, and it appeared it was a half inch deep. There were also holes on the bottom of the victim's foot, and there was a lot of blood.

"He said he saw the shark biting him" says Friess, who says the victim described what happened as they were waiting for first responders to arrive. "And out of reflex he pulled his foot away, and that's what got such a long cut."

The victim was rushed to Holmes Regional Hospital, where he was treated. The hospital not releasing his name or condition, but Brevard County first responders say it was a non life threatening bite.