The next challenge was getting Jose out of the water before his condition worsened.
Chapter 6: The Race Back to the Boat
After the shark was driven away, Jose's companions helped bring him aboard the boat.
The immediate danger from the animal had ended.
But the injuries remained serious.
Jose had been bitten on the leg and subjected to repeated attacks during the brief encounter.
The group needed to get him out of the water and arrange medical assistance.
A boat provided a safer location where the injured diver could be assessed and transported toward shore.
The reported account does not provide a complete description of every first-aid measure performed aboard the vessel.
It does not establish the exact amount of blood Jose lost or whether specific emergency equipment was used.
Those details should not be assumed.
What is established is that Jose was brought onto the boat and transported quickly toward shore.
The speed of the response was important.
A shark bite can cause deep tissue injuries that require professional medical assessment.
Even when the victim remains conscious and survives the immediate encounter, complications may develop from bleeding, damaged structures, or infection.
Jose needed hospital treatment.
His companions focused on getting him to emergency responders.
The trip back toward shore represented another critical stage in the rescue.
Only moments earlier, Jose had been swimming toward the boat after catching a fish.
Now he was aboard the vessel as an injured patient.
The contrast was extraordinary.
The outing had begun as a recreational spearfishing trip.
It had become a life-threatening encounter with a bull shark.
And it was now an emergency evacuation.
Once the boat reached shore, rescue personnel continued the response.
Jose's injuries were serious enough to require transportation to a hospital in Miami.
A medical helicopter was arranged.
The rescue had moved from the water to the shore.
Now it would continue through the air.
Chapter 7: An Emergency Flight to Miami
Emergency responders arranged for Jose to be transported by helicopter to a hospital in Miami.
The decision reflected the seriousness of his injuries and the need for advanced medical care.
Key West is located at the southern end of the Florida Keys, while Miami lies farther north on the mainland.
Travel between the two areas can take considerable time by road.
For a patient with significant traumatic injuries, helicopter transportation can provide a faster connection to specialized medical services.
Jose had survived the shark's attack.
But the medical consequences still required attention.