The boy caught the shark in Fort Lauderdale
(Picture: 7 News Miami )A 12-year-old avid angler has told of his joy at capturing a great white shark off the coast of Florida.
Campbell Keenan and his family, originally from Boston, were visiting Fort Lauderdale when the shark about 11-feet long took their bait.
Mum Colleen said it was “scary” as her son had to be held to make sure he didn’t get pulled into the water by the shark.
The youngster told local news channel Miami 7 News: “Well, it was a pretty slow day, we were just catching some fish, and then all of sudden, when they starting reeling it in, it took out drag, and I was like, ‘Is this thing going to pull me in?’ because I was just scared.”
His mother added: “We had to hold onto him. We had to make sure he wasn’t going to go off the boat. He had to hold on to the reel, and he was strapped in and not really, so that was scary.”
According to the boat’s captain, Paul Palucci, it took about an hour to catch the shark, which weighed about 450 pounds and was female.
Fishermen reeled the shark in to take the line out of its mouth and then tag it. Researchers will now be able to follow where the shark is going next and its migration patterns.
“I was so excited for him because he loves fishing so much, and this is like the best you could ever imagine,” Colleen said.
“Once we found out it was a great white, it was just, we were through the roof.”
The 12-year-old said it felt “accomplishing” to catch the shark.
“I mean, the biggest fish that I ever caught,” Cambell said. “Before this, it was a 25-inch striper. This is a 130-inch great white shark.”
