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Colo. Boy, 10, Attacked by Shark While on Spring Break Trip in Mexico: 'It Was Terrifying,' Mom Says

Dillon Armijo "suffered massive damage to his leg" from the attack, according to a GoFundMe set up to raise money for his medical bills

Go Fund Me
Go Fund Me

A Colorado boy is recovering at home after being attacked by a shark while vacationing in Mexico on a spring break trip.

Dillon Armijo, 10, was playing in the water at a beach in Cancún on March 17 when the shark bit his leg without warning, ABC affiliate KMGH-TV and Good Morning America reported.

The young boy was playing in knee-deep water with his brother when he was hit by a wave and then felt the shark attach itself to his leg, according to a GoFundMe set up to raise money for Dillon's medical bills.

Dillon's mom, Abby Armijo, said she realized her son was in trouble when she heard him scream. "That moment is the most overwhelming thing I've ever experienced in my life," she told GMA.

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After bringing him back to shore, Dillon's mother rushed her wounded son to a nearby emergency room, according to the GoFundMe.

"It was terrifying. I didn't know how bad it was," she told GMA. "Just as a mom, I was helpless, and that's a horrible, horrible feeling."

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Dillon "suffered massive damage to his leg" as a result of the attack, including "two broken bones," and "extensive nerve damage," the GoFundMe page states. The attack also left him with severed tendons and meniscus.

To date, the boy has undergone four surgeries, per GMA.

His first surgery was conducted in Mexico, "but his injuries were too extensive" for him to remain there, the GoFundMe page says.

Four days after he arrived at the hospital, Dillon was airlifted to Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora, according to KMGH-TV.

Dillon had his final surgery on Mar. 24, when doctors "successfully repaired almost all of the damage from the shark bite," the GoFundMe page says.

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With some physical therapy, his family hopes he will be able to walk again in the future. Meanwhile, Dillon is looking forward to "eventually" returning to the ocean.

"I feel really happy seeing and knowing that I'm going to be able to play again," he told GMA.

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