Surviving a shark bite is an experience you tell your grandchildren about. Now thanks to a shark bite, one Massachusetts man has a great chance of living to tell the tale to his grandkids.
Eugene Finney was on vacation in California, swimming at Huntington Beach with his ten year-old daughter, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Suddenly, he was knocked hard by something hitting his back, hard enough to leave him dazed and uncertain about what had happened.
After struggling to regain his composure and heading back to shore safely with his daughter, Finney’s girlfriend Emeline McKeown noticed a commotion near the shore. Lifeguards called swimmers in and beachgoers gathered their children, as shark fins had been spotted.
Finney suffered a gash down his back, and within days his abdomen and upper body grew sore. On his return home, he tried to go back to work, but ultimately went to the hospital to get checked out.
After a barrage of tests, the doctors determined that his pain was caused by interior bruising from the shark blow. They also told him they found a small, walnut-sized tumor on his kidney that was likely cancerous.
Doctors ultimately removed the tumor, saving 80 percent of the kidney, and expect Finney to make a full recovery without radiation or chemotherapy.