Jose's injuries were serious enough to require emergency helicopter transportation to a hospital in Miami.
Although he survived and was expected to recover, the need for specialized medical care demonstrated the severity of the encounter.
The attack also illustrates the importance of avoiding unsupported assumptions about shark behavior.
Jose had been spearfishing and had caught a fish before the encounter.
That detail may be relevant because sharks can respond to injured fish or other feeding-related signals.
But the available account does not establish that the captured fish caused the shark to attack.
Nor does it prove that the animal deliberately selected Jose as prey.
The shark's precise motivation remains uncertain.
What is established is the sequence of events.
Jose was returning to his boat.
A bull shark attacked him.
He fought back.
His friend intervened with a speargun.
The shark moved away.
Jose was rescued and transported for medical treatment.
The outcome was survival.
And the intervention by his friend was the defining moment.
Chapter 10: Thirteen Seconds That Could Have Ended His Life
On July 15, 2024, Jose Angel Abreu Hernandez entered the waters near Toppino Reef expecting another spearfishing outing with friends.
He was 37 years old.
The group was offshore from Key West, Florida, in waters known for their marine life.
Jose had successfully caught a fish.
He was swimming back toward the boat when a large shark approached.
Witnesses described the animal as a bull shark approximately eight feet long.
The encounter became violent almost immediately.
The shark lunged at Jose and bit his leg.
It continued attacking, making repeated attempts to reach his upper body.
Jose reacted by fighting back.
He used his hands to keep the shark's mouth away from him.
But the animal was powerful, and his efforts did not completely stop the attacks.
The entire struggle lasted approximately 13 seconds.
That brief period was enough to create a life-threatening emergency.
Jose was still in the water.
He was injured.
And the shark continued lunging toward him.
Then one of his friends intervened.
The friend entered the water carrying a speargun.
He approached the animal and used the weapon to strike toward its mouth.
The shark moved away.
The immediate attack ended.
Jose was able to escape the animal with assistance from his companions.
They helped bring him aboard the boat.
Then they transported him quickly toward shore.
Emergency responders arranged for Jose to be flown by helicopter to a hospital in Miami.
He survived and was expected to recover.
Afterward, Jose credited his friend's actions with saving his life.