A 12-year-old boy who was mauled by a shark 60 miles offshore in the Bahamas was rescued by his heroic older brother.
Parker Roll, of Friendswood, Texas, was swimming with his brother Jack, 16, on a boat excursion touring the Exuma Cays on Tuesday when the relaxing family vacation took a terrifying turn.
The brothers ventured into a bay off Staniel Cay island, where the rest of their family stayed, when Parker spotted the eight-to-10-foot shark just moments before the gory attack.
“I called out to [Jack]. I said, ‘Look at this rock. It looks like a humongous shark,’” Parker told Click2Houston.
Jack said the shark came within a few feet of him and he mistakenly believed it was harmless.
“I just hear this ear-piercing scream, and the clearest blue water turned to the murkiest red,” Jack told the outlet.
Parker managed to swim to shore before the agonizing pain took over.
“I looked down and I could see my bone. It just felt like a knife stabbing over and over, then twisting,” Parker said.
Jack wasted no time coming to his brother’s aid. He yelled for everyone else to get out of the water as he took off Parker’s swimsuit and tied it tightly around his leg to stop the bleeding.
Another group member helped fend off the shark until the boat crew arrived at the scene. It was unclear which species of shark attacked Parker. In the summer, aggressive tiger sharks, hammerheads and bull sharks all swim where the boy was attacked.
But Jack and Parker roamed far along the island, so rescuers had to carry Parker around the shoreline while keeping his leg above water, Click2Houston reported.
On the remote island, there was no cell service or radio signal, the Roll family said. It took about 45 minutes for the crew to regain service.
When they finally docked, an ambulance was waiting for Parker. He was treated for severe injuries to his leg and foot. His mother Katherine told The Post he needed roughly 30 to 40 stitches.
“I didn’t lose my leg, but there was a high possibility if I kept bleeding and it wasn’t stopped,” Parker told the outlet.
Doctors also told him that if his brother didn’t swoop in and stop the bleeding, the grim attack could have been fatal. Parker is expected to make a full recovery.
“I’m also glad I didn’t just bleed out there,” Parker told Click2Houston. “Especially when you’re that far offshore.”
