An unidentified 23-year-old man was bitten on his right hand by a shark after he fell off his surfboard while surfing about 100 metres south of the south jetty at Ponce de Leon Inlet, Florida, US. The attack took place at about 2pm local time on Sunday 27 November.
The man did not see the shark and as such was unable to identify the species or say how big it was.
He was treated at Halifax Medical Center at Daytona Beach for cuts and possible tendon damage to his hand.
This is the fourth shark attack at New Smyrna Beach in six weeks. The others occurred on:
20 November
12 November
15 October
Sources: Daytona Beach News Journal
Monday, November 28, 2005
Sunday, November 27, 2005
UPDATE - surfer attacked off Flinders, Australia
This is an updated version of the attack on Tom Burke from News.com.au
Tom Burke, 18, told media he furiously punched and kicked the shark after it attacked him while surfing off Flinders, in Western Port Bay, on Friday evening. The shark is believed to be a 1.8 metre Bronze Whaler.
Burke told media he would never surf again.
Tom Burke, 18, told media he furiously punched and kicked the shark after it attacked him while surfing off Flinders, in Western Port Bay, on Friday evening. The shark is believed to be a 1.8 metre Bronze Whaler.
He then paddled back to shore, scared the shark would come after him and too fearful to look at his wounded leg, believing it may have been bitten off.
"I just started feeling really weird, then I saw a big black thing come up. I just got ripped off the board," Burke said.
"I punched it as hard as I could, then I started kicking (it).
"I didn't really have a clue what was going on, it was surreal."
Burke told media he would never surf again.
INJURED - Nahoon Reef, East London, South Africa - 25 November 2005 - surfer attacked
Ashley Milford, 26, suffered a small cut to his finger after being attacked by a shark while surfing at Nahoon Reef, East London, South Africa on Friday 25 November.
The attack took place at 11.30am after Milford had caught a wave, fallen off his board and had just started to paddle back to the take-off zone. The shark hit him from underneath and knocked him off his board. As it rose to take a bite Milford rammed his surfboard sideways into the shark's mouth.
Milford told media the shark had a "squarish snout" indicating it could have been a Zambezi or Tiger shark.
The tooth marks on Milford's board show a bite width of approximately 20 centimetres, according to the report. There was no estimate of the size of the shark.
The surfer told the press: "It was not an experience I'd wish on my worst enemy."
There were no further details in the report.
Sources
Daily Dispatch
The attack took place at 11.30am after Milford had caught a wave, fallen off his board and had just started to paddle back to the take-off zone. The shark hit him from underneath and knocked him off his board. As it rose to take a bite Milford rammed his surfboard sideways into the shark's mouth.
Milford told media the shark had a "squarish snout" indicating it could have been a Zambezi or Tiger shark.
The tooth marks on Milford's board show a bite width of approximately 20 centimetres, according to the report. There was no estimate of the size of the shark.
The surfer told the press: "It was not an experience I'd wish on my worst enemy."
There were no further details in the report.
Sources
Daily Dispatch
INJURED - Flinders, Victoria, Australia - 25 November 2005 - surfer attacked
Tom Bourke, 18, was bitten by a shark while surfing with friends at Flinders on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. The attack happened shortly before 6pm on Friday 25 November.
According to media reports Bourke told police the shark was 1.8 metres long, but he didn’t know the species.
His friends drove him to Rosebud Hospital. He suffered two wounds to one leg.
"I didn't go underneath, I got pulled off the board but I didn't go underneath the water," Bourke reportedly told Southern Cross Radio.
There were no futher details in the report.
Sources:
News.com.au
According to media reports Bourke told police the shark was 1.8 metres long, but he didn’t know the species.
His friends drove him to Rosebud Hospital. He suffered two wounds to one leg.
"I didn't go underneath, I got pulled off the board but I didn't go underneath the water," Bourke reportedly told Southern Cross Radio.
There were no futher details in the report.
Sources:
News.com.au
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
INJURED - Jensen Beach, Florida, US - 21 November 2005 - surfer attacked
A surfer in his 30s was bitten on the left foot by a small shark while surfing at a break about 150 metres north of Jensen Beach, Florida, US, on Monday afternoon, 21 November.
Details are sketchy, but it appears the bite was minor.
“It was a good bite, but pretty minor for a shark bite,” a lifeguard told the Palm Beach Post.
The surfer was taken to Martin Memorial Hospital.
The surfer’s name or type of shark was not mentioned in the report.
Witnesses on the beach said they had seen a four-foot shark swimming in the area for several hours.
One rather humorous line in the Post quoted a witness, Steve Ensor, as saying: “I've been sitting here for 25 years and I've never seen a shark body surf like that before.”
This was in reference to the man seeing the shark so close inshore that it was riding the waves with most of its body exposed.
Sources: Palm Beach Post
Details are sketchy, but it appears the bite was minor.
“It was a good bite, but pretty minor for a shark bite,” a lifeguard told the Palm Beach Post.
The surfer was taken to Martin Memorial Hospital.
The surfer’s name or type of shark was not mentioned in the report.
Witnesses on the beach said they had seen a four-foot shark swimming in the area for several hours.
One rather humorous line in the Post quoted a witness, Steve Ensor, as saying: “I've been sitting here for 25 years and I've never seen a shark body surf like that before.”
This was in reference to the man seeing the shark so close inshore that it was riding the waves with most of its body exposed.
Sources: Palm Beach Post
UPDATE - teen surfer attack at New Smyrna Beach
The 17-year-old surfer's name is Kevin Spradlin. Kevin was bitten on the leg and said he was paddling back to shore in knee-deep water when he felt a burning sensation on his leg. He needed 43 stitches to close the wound.
He said the attack would not keep him out the water and intended to be back in the surf in two weeks, the time the doctor said it would take for the wound to heal.
He said the attack would not keep him out the water and intended to be back in the surf in two weeks, the time the doctor said it would take for the wound to heal.
Monday, November 21, 2005
INJURED - New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Florida, US - 20 November 2005 - surfer attacked
A 17-year-old surfer (name withheld by media) was bitten on his right thigh while coming ashore with his surfboard near the south jetty at Ponce de Leon Inlet, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, US.
Beach Patrol Captain Scott Petersohn told media: “There were four to five minor lacerations on both sides of the leg.”
The surfer told beach patrol officers he never saw the shark.
He was taken to Bert Fish Medical Center and was expected to make a full recovery.
This is the third attack in five weeks at the same beach. A surfer was attacked on 12 November and swimmer was attacked on 15 October.
Sources:
Daytona Beach News Journal
Local6 News
Beach Patrol Captain Scott Petersohn told media: “There were four to five minor lacerations on both sides of the leg.”
The surfer told beach patrol officers he never saw the shark.
He was taken to Bert Fish Medical Center and was expected to make a full recovery.
This is the third attack in five weeks at the same beach. A surfer was attacked on 12 November and swimmer was attacked on 15 October.
Sources:
Daytona Beach News Journal
Local6 News
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Shark attack caught on film
Oceanic researchers take a dip 7 miles off the coast of Chile when one is hit by a Great White. All caught on film - grim stuff.
Watch it here
Watch it here
INJURED - Aston Bay, South Africa - 15 November 2005 - fisherman attacked
Sergeant Ivan Gerger, 32, a local policeman who fishes for sharks to supply the Jeffreys Bay shark aquarium was bitten on both hands and his right leg by a ragged-tooth shark when he tried to wrestle it from the water after reeling it in.
The incident took place at about 2pm local time at Aston Bay, near world-renown surfing spot Jeffrey’s Bay on South Africa's east coast.
A police spokesperson told media the shark bit him on the palm and fingers and right leg “but did not bite anything off”, before swimming back out to sea. He was admitted to nearby Humansdorp hospital in a stable condition.
Sources:
News24.com
The incident took place at about 2pm local time at Aston Bay, near world-renown surfing spot Jeffrey’s Bay on South Africa's east coast.
A police spokesperson told media the shark bit him on the palm and fingers and right leg “but did not bite anything off”, before swimming back out to sea. He was admitted to nearby Humansdorp hospital in a stable condition.
Sources:
News24.com
Sunday, November 13, 2005
INJURED - New Smyrna Beach, Florida, USA - 12 November 2005 - surfer attacked
An 18-year-old surfer was bitten on the right foot by a shark while he sat on his board with his feet dangling in about eight-feet of water. He was surfing near the New Smyrna Beach jetty in Volusia County, Florida, USA. The teen’s name was not released to the media.
The teen suffered puncture wounds to his right foot and was taken by ambulance to hospital reportedly in a stable condition.
The species and size of shark was not known. A beach patrol official told media the attack was most likely a case of mistaken identity.
Sources:
Local6.com
The teen suffered puncture wounds to his right foot and was taken by ambulance to hospital reportedly in a stable condition.
The species and size of shark was not known. A beach patrol official told media the attack was most likely a case of mistaken identity.
Sources:
Local6.com
Sunday, November 06, 2005
INJURED - 2 November 2005 - Club Sunterra Resort, St Martin, Caribbean - swimmer attacked
James Bumpers from Buffalo, New York, US, was was bitten on the right leg by a small shark while swimming off the beach at the Club Sunterra Resort on St Martin island in the Caribbean. He was on vacation with his wife Phyllis according to News 4 media.
Bumpers told News 4: “All of a sudden I heard and I felt something hit my leg.
“Honestly I couldn't feel the pain until after I got to the emergency room. I started feeling a little pain when [the doctor] starting sewing me up.”
The two doctors on St Martin concluded it was a small shark (no species identified) that sunk its teeth into Bumpers’ leg. The injuries were minor.
Sources: News 4
Bumpers told News 4: “All of a sudden I heard and I felt something hit my leg.
“Honestly I couldn't feel the pain until after I got to the emergency room. I started feeling a little pain when [the doctor] starting sewing me up.”
The two doctors on St Martin concluded it was a small shark (no species identified) that sunk its teeth into Bumpers’ leg. The injuries were minor.
Sources: News 4
FRIGHTENED - 2 November 2005 - Maverics, Half Moon Bay, California, US, - surfer attacked
Tim West was surfing Californian big wave spot Maverics with friend Chris Loeswick when he was knocked into the air by a shark which smashed into the underside of his board.
The attack occurred late Wednesday afternoon (2 November). They were the only two in the water. He was paddling his 10’ 1’’ board out to the take off zone when the shark hit.
“At first I thought it was a seal or some seaweed or a boil,” West told Surfing magazine. “Then I saw this gray thing just thrashing by my board. I swam away, to the end of my leash, and all of the sudden the thing disappeared and everything just stopped. It went dead calm. I reeled in my board and just paddled straight toward the reef. I didn’t even care about waves – just get me into the whitewater.”
Loeswick who saw the entire incident was sitting on his board about 100 metres closer to shore. He shouted to his friend and then saw him begin to paddle to shore. He also then started to paddle to shore, but West still shot past him he was so “pumped on adrenalin”.
From a tooth fragment embedded in the board a shark expert estimated the shark to be a 12-14 foot Great White.
West was uninjured but badly shaken.
Sources:
Surfing magazine
Santa Cruz Sentinel
The attack occurred late Wednesday afternoon (2 November). They were the only two in the water. He was paddling his 10’ 1’’ board out to the take off zone when the shark hit.
“At first I thought it was a seal or some seaweed or a boil,” West told Surfing magazine. “Then I saw this gray thing just thrashing by my board. I swam away, to the end of my leash, and all of the sudden the thing disappeared and everything just stopped. It went dead calm. I reeled in my board and just paddled straight toward the reef. I didn’t even care about waves – just get me into the whitewater.”
Loeswick who saw the entire incident was sitting on his board about 100 metres closer to shore. He shouted to his friend and then saw him begin to paddle to shore. He also then started to paddle to shore, but West still shot past him he was so “pumped on adrenalin”.
From a tooth fragment embedded in the board a shark expert estimated the shark to be a 12-14 foot Great White.
West was uninjured but badly shaken.
Sources:
Surfing magazine
Santa Cruz Sentinel
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