Barracuda attack leaves Florida teen with 27 staples and 17 stitches. Over the weekend Parker King, 13, almost died during a barracuda attack while fishing with his father Irwin King. The pair thought they caught the monster barracuda which surprised them by leaping into the boat and attacking the teenager.
Now Floridians have to fear barracuda attacks. On Sunday Irwin King took his son Parker King fishing somewhere between Port Orange and New Smyrna Beach in Florida when the 13-year-old boy spotted a giant barracuda and told his father they should try to catch it.
As the father and son tried to reel in the 5-foot fish into the boat, it spit out the hook and jumped in.
The enormous sea creature which weighed over 50 pounds sank its killer teeth into Parker’s right arm and chest.
The middleschooler was in excruciating pain for the fish left two large bite marks on his body that looked like they were made by bears.
Fearing the worse could happen to his son who was bleeding heavily through the towel he had wrapped around the wounds, Irwin immediately turned his boat around and sped back to shore.
King explained that there was no phone reception where he was and the 20 miles boat ride to land seemed endless as he prayed for his kid not to run out of blood.
The dad also revealed that the barracuda that bit his son bounced around in the back of the small boat as they made their way back to shore.
The amateur fisherman was taken to a nearby hospital where he received 27 staples and 17 stitches and is now at home recovering.
Talking to the media, Parker said his ordeal felt like a nightmare and was praying to leave the Atlantic Ocean and get to the hospital.
The young man who is passionate by baseball and plays for his school feared that his injuries meant he would not be able to hold a bat anymore, but doctors told him in two weeks he can go back on the field.
