A man was severely injured in a recent shark attack off the coast of Florida, leaving him with a significant bite to his right arm. The incident occurred on Friday along the Amelia River, just south of the Florida-Georgia border, before noon local time. The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit was patrolling the area when they received a distress call from a boat around 11:15 a.m. Upon arrival, they found the victim with a severe bite to his right arm and quickly applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.
The deputy piloted the boat to the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp, where Fernandina Beach Fire Rescue was waiting. The victim was immediately airlifted to a nearby hospital and is currently listed in critical condition but is expected to recover. Authorities have not provided additional information about the victim.
This incident follows a series of shark attacks in Florida’s Gulf Coast earlier this month, where three people—a woman and two teenage girls—were injured in two separate attacks. Local authorities have been warning swimmers about the dangers in Florida’s waters, emphasizing the presence of dangerous marine life and high hazard conditions indicated by purple and red flags.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission notes that shark activity in Florida waters peaks between April and October. Despite this, shark bites remain rare, with humans being 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning in Florida than to be bitten by a shark. Experts suggest that the increase in shark bites in recent years is more related to an increase in human visitors rather than an increase in shark populations or activity.
The man injured on Friday was part of a group of people fishing when the shark was reeled onto the boat, leading to the attack. A marine patrol responded after receiving the emergency call, and a deputy applied a tourniquet to slow the bleeding. Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper stated that the man lost a lot of blood but is expected to recover after being airlifted to a Jacksonville-area hospital.
This incident marks at least the fourth shark attack in Florida since the beginning of meteorological summer, with three incidents occurring along the Panhandle in early June. All three victims were in shallow water northwest of Panama City Beach when the attacks occurred. Walton County officials sought advice from marine experts to determine if the incidents were part of a larger pattern, but no link was found.
Florida typically sees just under two dozen unprovoked shark attacks annually, with many occurring along the Central Florida coastline. Another state experiencing an uptick in shark attacks is Hawaii, with at least six events reported since the start of the year. One of these attacks resulted in the death of Tamayo Perry, a well-known surfer and actor, while surfing near Goat Island off the island of Oahu.
Despite the recent attacks, incidents involving sharks are still considered rare, with 63 attacks occurring annually, according to global data from the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission advises swimmers and surfers to avoid being in the water during twilight hours when sharks are most active. Beachgoers are also advised not to enter the water if they have an open wound or are wearing shiny jewelry, as both can attract sharks.
Many beach lifeguards use purple flags to indicate the presence of dangerous marine life such as jellyfish, stingrays, or sharks. The attack in Nassau County is the first since July 13, 2018, when two people were bitten by sharks in unprovoked attacks. In September 2015, a 12-year-old Georgia boy was bitten twice by a shark, suffering lacerations to his leg.
According to the International Shark Attack File, Florida saw 16 cases last year, representing 44% of the U.S. total and 23% of unprovoked bites worldwide. This is lower than Florida’s recent five-year annual average of 19 incidents per year. The ISAF reported 14 confirmed shark-related fatalities worldwide last year, 10 of which were unprovoked. This number is higher than the five-year annual global average of six unprovoked fatalities per year. Of Florida’s 16 unprovoked bites last year, none were fatal. The last fatal shark attack in Florida was in 2010 when 38-year-old kiteboarder Stephen Howard Schafer died from massive blood loss following an attack by at least one shark off Stuart Beach.
Researchers stress that fatal shark bites are extremely rare. The odds of dying as a result of a shark attack in the U.S. are 1 in 3,748,067. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offers several tips to avoid being bitten by a shark, including staying in groups, avoiding the water during darkness or twilight hours, not entering the water if bleeding from an open wound, and avoiding shiny jewelry.
Beachgoers are also advised to avoid waters with known discharges or sewage and waters used for fishing, especially if there are signs of baitfishes or feeding activity. Diving seabirds, which frequently feed on baitfishes, are good indicators of such activity. While there are myths about dolphins saving humans from shark bites, the presence of dolphins does not indicate the absence of sharks, as both often eat the same foods. Extra caution is advised when the waters are murky, and swimmers should avoid excess splashing and not allow pets in the water.
Source: CBS News, FOX Weather, USA TODAY
