Miami, FL—Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America (BRCA) at Kendall Regional Medical Center recently treated a 15-year-old attacked by a bull shark while lobster fishing at Ocean Reef in Key Largo, FL.
On August 7, 2021, Lucas Cruz had only been in the water for 15-20 minutes when a bull shark attacked him, causing significant tissue damage and lacerations to his lower extremities. Cruz’s injuries included a bite to the upper inner thigh of his right leg, a bite to the front of his left leg as well as a bite that went from the knee down, damaging muscles and severing his left Achilles.
Suffering extensive blood loss at the scene, Cruz was airlifted to Kendall Regional Medical Center, where he spent the next 11 days.
The Monday following the attack, BRCA’s Dr. Haaris Mir, Burn Medical Director at Kendall Regional Medical Center, did surgery on the front and back of Cruz’s left leg. That Friday, Dr. Rizal Lim worked to repair the right leg using cadaver skin grafts.
Cruz is in recovery back home, using a wheelchair and walker to get around, and works with a physical therapist three times a week.
Kendall Regional Medical Center is a Level 1 Trauma Center verified by the American College of Surgeons that includes a burn program verified by the American Burn Association and BRCA doctors and surgeons who provide care for burn, wound and hand injuries.
For more information about Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America, contact Christy Maraone, VP of Marketing, at [email protected] or 855-863-9595.
