Parker Roll, Friendswood, Texas boy survives shark attack in Bahamas after brother, Jack saves him. Attack which happened 60 miles offshore and with no radio signal necessitated quick thinking.
A 12-year-old Texas boy survived a shark attack in the Bahamas after his older brother coming to his younger brother’s timely aid.
Parker Roll, of Friendswood, Texas, was swimming with his brother Jack, 16, on a boat excursion touring the Exuma Cays on Tuesday, some 60 miles offshore when the 12-year-old was set on.
At the time the brothers were exploring a beach along Staniel Cay island.
Leading up to the attack the younger boy had recalled spotting something moving in the water.
‘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, with the elder boy mistakenly believing it was harmless.
Except it wasn’t.
‘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 agonizing pain taking 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. The brothers gessed the shark being eight-to-10-foot long.
In the summer, aggressive tiger sharks, hammerheads and bull sharks roam the area where Parker was attacked.
Because Jack and Parker had ventured far along the island, 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. It took about 45 minutes for the crew to regain service.
‘We were 60 miles offshore, our phones don’t work, and we’re on an island with nobody around us,’ Jack recalled. ‘It’s either we help him or nobody can really help him.’
Bahamas shark attacks par for the course
When they finally docked, an ambulance was waiting for Parker. He was treated for severe injuries to his leg and foot. Th incident led to Parker needing 1000 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.’
The Exumas are a chain of 365 islands with secluded beaches and exclusive resorts, with popular activities like swimming and snorkeling, according to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.
The Bahamas is home to over 40 different species of shark, according to the Pew Environmental Group.
