Springs Boy Who Lost Arm In Shark Attack: 'I Have Two Options'
DENVER (CBS4) - A Colorado Springs teenager who lost his arm in a shark attack Sunday at a beach in North Carolina is remaining positive.
Hunter Treschl, 16, says he could let what happened ruin his life or he could fight, and of the two he says there's only one real option and that's to keep living his life.
On Tuesday the hospital in North Carolina treating Treschl released an interview with him where he describes the attack.
"I felt it hit me on the left leg, like a big fish kind of hit you or something, then I felt it one more time, then it hit my arm. That was the first time I saw it, when it was biting up my left arm," Treschl said. "Then he got that off eventually. I don't know if he swam away, but I was able to move. With the help of my cousin, I made it up onto the beach."
VIDEO: Watch Video Clips From Hunter Treschl From The New Hanover Regional Medical Center
That's when Treschl says strangers came to his side. Officials say it was their quick thinking that likely saved his life.
"A guy had a belt with him, and he was able to use that as a tourniquet on my arm, to kind of stop the bleeding. I'd like to thank him very much. And then there were other people, I don't know their names, but I'd really like to thank all of them a lot. They were all helping me kind of stay calm until the ambulance got there."
RELATED: North Carolina Shark Attack Victim Is Teen Boy From Colorado Springs
Less than 90 minutes earlier and only 2 miles away another attack on a 12-year-old girl occurred. She lost her arm below the elbow and had a severe bite to her leg.
Both she and Treschl are recovering and only two days later he says he's already looking ahead.
"I've lost my arm obviously, so I have two options: I can try to live my life the way I was and make an effort to do that even though I don't have an arm, or I can just let this be completely debilitating and bring my life down and ruin it. Out of those two, there's really only one that I would actually choose and that's to try to fight and live a normal life with the cards I've been dealt."
Treschl says he's received a massive amount of messages from people all over who have been wishing him well. He said he now just looks forward to seeing his friends when he gets back to Colorado Springs.