Fishing community supports guide who lost his leg

Chris Shultz didn’t plan to be away from home long when he jumped on his Harley Davidson on June 19 and drove toward the Mayport boat ramp. The 31-year-old fishing guide, who quit his job a year ago to pursue his life-long dream, knew from experience that if he could find finger mullet that evening, they’d be exactly where he left them when he returned in the morning to catch bait for the day's charter trip.

As he drove through the S-turn on A1A near the entrance to the Navy base, a driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of her sedan and struck Shultz head on. He flew off his bike and over the roof of the car.

Shultz was still conscious after landing on the asphalt. He was surprised to see his left leg, which took the brunt of the impact from the car, still attached to his body.

Worried that he would bleed to death, he quickly ripped his paracord belt off his pants and created a tourniquet around his leg, just below his torso. A bystander ran up to him, and Shultz ordered him to pull the belt as tight as he could to slow the bleeding.

The ambulance arrived 10 minutes later, and Shultz passed out on the way to the hospital. A rescue technician who responded to the accident would later say Shultz’s quick thinking likely saved his life.

48 nights, 10 surgeries and eight blood fusions later, Shultz returned home, where he’s waiting for his wounds to heal and already making plans to get back on the water.

Doctors amputated his leg from the knee down, and Shultz said he couldn’t feel more grateful. He’s alive, and with some hard work in physical therapy, he’ll be back to pursuing his biggest passions: fishing, duck hunting and surfing.

“Not many people get hit head-on on a motorcycle and live to tell about it,” Shultz said. “I lost the leg, but I’ll be able to get out there and fish. I know life will be different in six months. I couldn’t control a lot of things, but the one thing I could control is my attitude.”

Shultz, a Jacksonville native, will be out of work for months and will unlikely receive any financial assistance from the driver, who he said was impaired during the accident and didn’t have insurance.

“It's a huge hit to your income, and not only that, it’s just that much more time away from your new business,” he said. 

Luckily, he has received an outpouring of support from the many friends he's made in the fishing community — and others he's never met.

Black Fly Outfitters will be raising money Saturday for Shultz’s recovery during its sixth annual Floodtide Festival, a block-party geared toward backcountry fishing enthusiasts.

The event, which begins at 10 a.m., will feature product showcases, beer and barbecue, and a presentation about floodtide fishing by local fishing guide John Bottko. All proceeds from beer, food and raffle ticket sales will go towards helping Shultz.

Andrew Mizell, the manager of the fly shop and restaurant, said Shultz is the type of guy who’d “give you the shirt off his back.” Despite everything he’s been through this summer, he said Shultz hasn’t lost his upbeat attitude and is completely focused on getting back on the water.

“I’m really inspired,” he said. “He never once had a pity-me attitude… He's still laughing, cracking jokes.”

Shultz’s family has also set up a GoFundMe fundraising account, which has already brought in $22,000 of the $40,000 they’re trying to raise to cover his medical expenses.

Down at the beach, Angie's Subs will be selling the "Captain Chris" special. Proceeds from the home-smoked brisket sandwich will be donated to Shultz.

“The fishing community in North Florida is a very tight-knit group,” said Ed Malin, the owner of the restaurant. “Our customers always step up to the plate. It actually blows me away how generous our community is.”

Chip Wingo, a local fishing guide, said he’ll be raffling a fishing trip to raise money for Shultz. He said the tickets can be purchased at Angie's Subs.

Shultz expects to be outfitted with a prosthetic leg by the end of next month. He’ll then start learning to walk on it.

His prognosis is good: Doctors told him he should be walking with a normal gait in a year and shouldn't have any trouble getting around on a boat or surfboard. He's aiming to get back on the water by next spring’s Cobia season.

Shultz said he’s incredibly grateful for everyone’s support.

“I can't thank the community and my friends and family enough,” he said. “I've gotten so much support from people I don’t even know.”