Man Says Shark Attack That Could Have Killed Him Actually Saved His Life

Eugene Finney was on vacation in California when he was attacked by a shark and later rushed to the hospital.

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Complex Original

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For Eugene Finney, being attacked by a shark while on vacation in California was just as harrowing of an experience as you would imagine. “Something struck me from behind,” Finney told CBSN. “I’d never been hit like that before. It was pretty jarring. It kind of gave me an instant whiplash.” Finney was promptly rushed to the hospital after he noticed the shark's gash on his back and started experiencing severe chest pains, where he ended up receiving some unexpected news.

"They had discovered a growth, or a tumor, on my right kidney about the size of a walnut,” Finney told reporters. The growth turned out to be cancer. Finney had the tumor immediately removed via surgery thanks to an early detection.

"The shark was a real message to me," Finney said. "If this didn't happen with the shark causing me to go in with this chest pain, I would never have known about this cancer.” Finney is fortunately not expected to need any further treatments, making this story even more remarkable.

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