This Man Was Attacked By A Shark — And It Saved His Life

Not only are shark attacks far less deadly to humans than many people might think, on at least one recent occasion, that was actually the key to saving a life.

Eugene Finnely was on a beach vacation in California with his family over the summer when he had an experience that changed his outlook forever. While out enjoying a swim in the ocean, he was suddenly rammed in the back by a shark who had apparently mistaken him for an easy meal.

After scrambling back to shore, it seemed the encounter had left him with just a scratch on his back. Later on, however, he felt strong pain in his chest that ultimately prompted him to get checked out by a doctor. That's about the time he discovered the injuries from the shark were the least of his concerns, as CBS Boston reports:

Strange as it might sound, Finnely credits his run-in with that fearful predator with alerting him to the real life-threatening danger, telling the news station:

"If this didn't happen with the shark, causing me to go in with this chest pain, I would have never known about this cancer."