A man’s near fatal encounter with a shark has saved his life, when doctors treating him for his sustained injury discovered he had cancer.
Eugene Finney was enjoying a family holiday in California with his children and girlfriend, when he went for a swim and felt something slam into his back.
“[It hit] harder than I’ve ever been hit in my life,” the 39-year-old told the Sentinel and Enterprise.
Finney was startled and hurt, the art marketing co-ordinator managed to flee from the water, but he had no idea what had happened to him.
The creature left Mr Finney with a deep cut across his back and left him with multiple bruises.
Returning to work in his home town of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, he struggled with back and chest pain caused by the attack and visited hospital, Boston CBS Local reported.
Doctors began treating Mr Finney for his blunt force trauma wounds then had to confront him with the news that they had discovered a stage one tumour on his right kidney.
Mr Finney is now cancer-free, and will not require chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
Dr. Ingolf Tuerk at St Elizabeth’s medical centre in Brighton, Massachusetts said the sharkattack “lead to a situation that saved his life.”
“That’s pretty fascinating when you think about it.”
