FATAL – 10 November 2008 – high seas off Taiwan – seaman attacked

A brief report from Reuters says 18 seamen were declared missing and another was killed by a shark after their fishing boat was swamped by high waves off Taiwan on Monday 10 November 2008, according to Taiwan’s coast guard. The coast guard had rescued another nine crew members from the boat.

High winds whipped up huge waves, forcing the crew to send a distress signal from 80km south of Kaohsiung near the southern tip of Taiwan, a coastguard spokesperson said.

"The ocean conditions were terrible," he said. "The waves were so big they just inundated the boat."

He said one crew member was killed by a shark but gave no other details.

Source
Alert Net

FATAL – 6 November 2008 – deep sea off Paoay town, Ilocos Norte, Philippines – fisherman attacked

Joel Bacud, 39, was attacked and killed by a shark while fishing in deep sea some three hours offshore of Paoay town in Ilocos Norte, Philippines. The attacked occurred on 6 November 2008.

Bacud was fishing with his 17-year-old son Louie in their motorized banca when the elder Bacud dived in deep water to check on their fishing net.

A shark suddenly sprung and attacked the elder Bacud, Paoay town police chief Senior Inspector Dexter Corpuz told the Philippine Star.

The victim’s son, who was unhurt, brought his father’s body to shore in the banca.

The shark bit Bacud’s back, particularly on the right side, his right arm had a big wound while his upper torso had nine lacerations from the shark’s teeth, according to the report.

The father and son went fishing around 5am and the attack happened around 10 to 11am local time.

He told the newspaper that the elder Bacud jumped from the motorized banca with some bloodied fish catch which apparently drew the shark’s attention.

Sources:

Philippine Star

INJURED – 14 September 2008 -- Ocean Shore Boulevard, Ormond-by-the-Sea, Florida, USA– swimmer attacked

A 32-year-old man was bitten on the heel by a shark while swimming swimming off the 1000 block of Ocean Shore Boulevard in Ormond-by-the-Sea, Volusia County, Florida, USA. His injuries were minor and would “probably require just a few sutures,” said a beach official at the scene.

The incident occurred on 14 September 2008.

The man, whose name was not released, was swimming in waist-deep water when a wave knocked him from his feet. While his feet were off the bottom, the swimmer felt something grab his heel. He received two minor lacerations.

Officials said that based on the pattern of bite-mark, the shark was most likely a 2- to 3-foot juvenile shark.

Sources:

News Journal Online

INJURED – 9 September 2008 – Kahana Bay, Ka'a'awa, Oahu, Hawaii – surfer attacked

Todd Murashige, 40, suffered deep lacerations right round his right thigh after he was bitten by a shark while sitting on his surfboard in Kahana Bay, Ka'a'awa Oahu, Hawaii, on 9 September 2008.

He told media that he put his fingers in the shark’s mouth to pry himself free from its jaws and that the shark took no further interest in him after that.

"I didn't see it at all. It just seemed so surreal, like it wasn't real, just head of a shark right there in my lap," he said.

"I stuck my fingers into his mouth to try to pry him off, but I didn't feel any teeth. I think I was grabbing onto his gums or the lip part," he said.

Murashige said the shark didn't pursue him, and thinks it was a test bite, "because he never came back to me, and really aggressively never really bit me and shook me. He just took a test bite and it wasn't too good tasting."

After freeing himself, Murashige managed to get back to shore on his board, which was missing a piece from the bite, by paddling and catching a wave. He also had the help of a fellow surfer who staunched the bleeding until paramedics arrived.

Once on solid ground, a towel was used to tie off the wounded thigh and a call was placed to 911.

"While I was lying on the shore, I thought I was going to black out," Murashige said. "I told myself if I black out, I'm going to die. That's what I really felt in my gut, so I called my wife and I called my mom."

Murashige was taken to Queen's Medical Center.

Since he didn't see the shark's body, Murashige said he didn't know what kind it was or how big it was. But based on the size of its head — Murashige raised his hands about the width of his shoulders — he suspects it was a tiger shark.

Murashige lost a lot of blood, with the wound going almost all around the thigh, but there were no broken bones and his prognosis is good.

Sources:

KITV

WTOL

SCARED – 7 September 2008 -- Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia – surfer scared

John Morgan, 51, said a large shark became entangled in his surfboard leash and dragged him for about 50 metres like a "powerful jet ski", about 300 metres offshore of Byron Bay, NSW, Australia. He was not injured in the incident but said he was “freaked” out.

The incident occurred around midday on Sunday 7 September 2008.

"I had just come off a wave when I saw a large swirl of water," Morgan told the Northern Star newspaper.

"I was then suddenly hauled backwards ... like I was riding behind a powerful jet ski."

Morgan said he laid down on his longboard as the shark, which he estimated was about three metres long, dragged him about 50 metres.

"I think the shark was as scared as I was,” he told media.

Sources:

Sydney Morning Herald

INJURED – 7 September 2008 – Ponce de Leon Inlet, Florida, US – 2 surfers attacked

Two surfers were bitten a shark or shark almost simultaneously ay Ponce de Leon Inlet, Florida, US around noon on Sunday 7 September.

A 43-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy were surfing about 200 feet away from each other when they were bitten. The surfers, who did not know each other, were catching waves in the area between Beach Street and the jetty rocks. They each suffered "very minor" puncture wounds on one foot and were treated by Beach Patrol at the scene.

Beach Patrol Captain Scott Petersohn said: "It's just a weird coincidence. One of the surfers asked for help at a lifeguard tower. A Beach Patrol truck was called in, and while officers were on their way to the tower, they spotted another surfer on the beach bleeding from his foot and thought it was the victim they were originally called to treat.”

No other details were reported.

Sources:
News Journal Online

INJURED – 2 September 2008 (reported) – Lundy Island, near Devon, UK – angler attacked

In a rather strange story, angler Stephen Perkins, 52, was bitten by a shark that he had just caught while he was holding it to pose for a photograph. The Blue shark sunk its teeth into his forearm causing deep puncture wounds.

He was flown to North Devon District Hospital and underwent extensive reconstructive surgery on his arm.

Perkins told media: “We don't harm the sharks when we hook them. We just take a picture and put them back in the water but the one I got was pretty lively and put his jaw around my wrist then let go.”

Sources:
Daily Mail

INJURED – 26 August 2008 -- New Smyrna Beach, Florida, US – surfer attacked

Alexander Zgura was sitting on his board in the surf near the jetty on the New Smyrna Beach side of Ponce de Leon Inlet just before 11 am when a shark grabbed him by the lower left leg.

The shark was about six feet long according to Zgura.

According to beach officials Zgura appeared to suffer two bites between the knee and ankle causing about 13 to 15 separate lacerations, which would have required stitches. However, he declined transport to Bert Fish Medical Center, saying he would go by private vehicle.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
News Journal Online

INJURED – 24 August 2008 – New Smyrna Beach, Florida, US – surfer attacked

According to a brief report from Fox News – a shark bit 20-year-old Jacob Shoup’s left foot about 3 pm Sunday 24 August 2008 while he was swimming out to catch a wave, his surfboard in tow.

Shoup suffered four lacerations to his foot and instep. His friends took him to a Bert Fish Medical Center for treatment. Lifeguards said he was expected to be OK.

Sources:

Fox News

INJURED – 20 August 2008 – Cape Coral, Florida, US -- swimmer attacked

Jack Miller, 47, says he was bitten by a shark on the forearm while swimming with his son near the Sanibel moorings, near Cape Coral, Florida, US. The incident happened around 2.45pm on Wednesday, 20 August 2008.

The report said he did not seek medical attention for the three lacerations on his forearm.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
News Press

INJURED - 12 August 2008 - New Smyrna Beach, Florida, USA -- swimmer attacked

A 13-year-old girl (name not released) was swimming in waist to chest deep water off New Smyrna Beach, Florida, USA on Tuesday 12 August 2008, when she was bitten on the right leg by a shark.

Officials said she suffered several small puncture wounds and one gash of about three inches between her ankle and her knee.

No other details were reported.

Sources:

Orlando Sentinel

INJURED -- 23 July 2008 -- New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Florida, US -- surfer attacked

 

A 15-year-old boy (name not released) was bitten on the foot by a shark on Wednesday 23 July 2008 while surfing near the inlet Jetty in New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Florida, United States.

Lifeguards said he jumped off his surfboard in chest deep water and onto the shark, which retaliated by biting his foot.

He was taken to hospital and received several stitches for lacerations on his foot.

A beach witness told media: "He was bleeding real good but they had him wrapped up, but he had some deep lacerations on the top of his foot as well as the bottom."

No other details were reported.

Sources: Central Florida News 13

INJURED – 11 July 2008 – Isle of Palms, Charleston, South Carolina, US – swimmer attacked

A brief report in the Daily Comet says a 24-year-old man (name not released) was bitten by a shark on the forearm while swimming off the Isle of Palms, near Charleston, South Carolina, United States. The incident occurred around 2pm on Friday 11 July 2008.

The man was taken to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Daily Comet

INJURED – 9 July 2008 -- Emerald Isle, North Carolina, USA – swimmer attacked

Baileigh Foster, 14, was bitten on the right foot by a shark while swimming off Emerald Isle, North Carolina, US. Baileigh told media she was in waist-deep water at around 7.30pm when the shark bit her. It was Wednesday 9 July 2008.

She said she felt a sharp pain, “like being stabbed” on the top and bottom of her right foot.

She said the water was a little rough, and she had been pushed away from the rest of the group by about 10 feet. She and her cousin thought they saw something earlier that day that kind of looked like a lot of fish were swimming in one area but didn’t think it was anything to mention, she said.

“When I turned to go back to shore, it just bit me. There wasn’t any pulling. It was scary,” she said.

“It was just like 10 seconds. The shark just came up and bit me and let go like I was a small fish or something.”

Running out of the water screaming, she said no one thought anything was wrong because she had been screaming like that earlier while playing with cousins. But then her uncle looked at her face and saw her foot and yelled at all the other kids to get out of the water.

She underwent surgery at Carteret General Hospital to repair lacerations, a severed tendon and a fracture in her foot.

Sources:

Jacksonville News

Caronlina Coast

Photo credit:
Dylan Ray

FATAL? – 28 June 2008 -- Kamilo Point, Ka'u, Hawaii – diver attacked

A brief report out of Hawaii says the remains of the body of a diver who disappeared while “picking opihi (limpets)” was found with shark bite marks. An inquest has been opened.

Police were yet to positively link the remains to the diver - Nathan Labarios, 58, who was reported missing at 4:45pm Saturday by friends he was camping with at Kamilo Point, Ka'u, Hawaii. According to media reports they said they had last seen him around 11am before he left to pick opihi alone.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Honolulu Advertiser

INJURED – 26 June 2008 – New Smyrna Beach, Florida, US -- surfer attacked

A 29-year-old surfer (name not released) was bitten by a shark on his left foot on Thursday afternoon, 26 June 2008. The incident occurred at New Smyrna Beach, Florida, US.

According to media reports he was sitting on his board with his feet dangling in the water when he was bitten. Authorities said his injuries were minor and did not require stitches.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Florida Today

INJURED – 26 June 2008 – Isle of Palms, South Carolina, US – swimmer attacked

A man (name not released) was bitten on his hand by a shark while swimming of the Isle off Palms, South Carolina, US, on Thursday morning, 28 June 2008.

Media reports said the 37-year-old told authorities he was swimming in the breaking waves when the 4 1/2- to 5-foot-long shark nipped his hand.

Authorities said: “He needed immediate medical attention, but it didn't look like he was going to have any long-term issues.”

He declined to use an ambulance and went to East Cooper Medical Center in a personal vehicle.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Post and Courier

INJURED – 20 June 2008 -- Fernandina Beach, Florida, USA – wader attacked

Jennifer Castion received severe lacerations to both sides of her lower right calf from a shark bite in chest-deep waters off Fernandina Beach, Florida, USA. The incident occurred 11 am Friday, 20 June 2008.

She reportedly told authorities she felt something grab her leg in chest-high water. After a struggle, it let her leg go.

Once ashore, her husband wrapped her leg in a towel, took her to the nearby beach house they were staying at and called 911. She was flown via air ambulance to Shands Jacksonville hospital.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Florida Times
Fox News

INJURED – 1 June 2008 – Cherry Grove, South Carolina, United States – swimmer attacked

Madi Taff, 15, received minor wounds after being bitten by a shark on the foot while body surfing at Cherry Grove, South Carolina, United States. The incident occurred on 1 June but was only reported on 16 June 2008.

She was rushed to a lifeguard station and then taken to hospital where she had 16 stitches to close the wound.

Madi said she thought she hit her leg on a rock or was bitten by a large crab.

Judging by the bite, doctors said the shark was about 5 feet long. Authorities speculate the shark was either a Sandbar or a Black Tip shark.

Sources:
WSMV
WZTV

INJURED – 12 June 2008 -- Del Cifre beach, Pernambuco state, Brazil – surfer attacked

A 14-year-old surfer, Galvao de Franca, was bitten on the leg by a shark while surfing off Del Cifre beach in Pernambuco state, north east Brazil, according to a 12 June 2008 SkyNews report. The date of the attack was not mentioned, although it did refer to refer to a previous attack – 10 days ago – where another 14-year-old surfer lost his hand, also in Pernambuco state and some 20 miles south of this attack.

According to the report the boy managed to break lose from the shark's jaws and swim ashore. A passing ambulance crew took him to hospital.

He suffered a deep gash in his left leg and lost a lot of bllod, but was expected to recover.

Authorities told media the beach was off limits to bathers and surfers because of the many sharks in the area. Galvao apparently ignored signs on the beach warning of the danger of sharks.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
SkyNews

INJURED – 1 June 2008 – Piedade beach, Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil – swimmer attacked

Wellington dos Santos, 14, had his right hand completely severed and suffered large bite wounds to his buttocks from a shark attack while swimming beyond the coral reef about 150 metres off the beach at Piedade, near the Pernambuco state capital Recife.

Lifeguards rescued dos Santos and rushed him to a hospital, where he was reported to be in critical but stable condition at the time of this blog.

Pernambuco state fire department spokesman Marcio Maia, told media that as well as losing his right hand the shark “bit off a large chunk of his buttocks”.

The attack was the 51st since authorities started keeping count of shark attacks in the area in 1992. Maia said that sharks have killed 19 people in Pernambuco state over the past 15 years.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Associated Press

INJURED – 26 May 2008 -- Hammocks Beach State Park, Bear Island, North Carolina, United States – surfer attacked

A brief report from WRAL.com says a nine-year-old boy, William Early, was presumed bitten by a shark while surfing in shallow water off Bear Island in the Hammocks Beach State Park, North Carolina, United States. The incident occurred around 4pm on Monday 26 May 2008.

A spokesperson for the Parks and Recreation authority said the boy had just got off his surfboard “when a large fish attacked him”.

William suffered lacerations to his upper and lower left arm. He underwent surgery at Wilmington hospital to correct some nerve damage and returned home to recover.

Doctors said William's wounds were consistent with a shark bite. However, no one saw a shark at the scene.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
WRAL.com

INJURED – 24 May 2008 – Zihuatanejo, Pacific coast, Mexico – surfer attacked

A brief report from the Associated Press, says a surfer, Bruce Greems, lost his thumb in a shark attack at a beach at Zihuatanejo, Pacific coast, Mexico. The incident occurred on Saturday 24 May 2008.

Authorities said the man managed to drive himself to hospital.

The attack follows a fatal shark attack the day before at Pantla beach a few kilometres away.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Associated Press

FATAL – 23 May 2008 – Pantla Beach, Zihuatanejo, Pacific Coast, Mexico – surfer attacked

Osvaldo Mata, 21, died from his wounds after being bitten by a shark while surfing with friends at Pantla Beach about 20 km from the resort town of Zihuatanejo on Mexico’s Pacific coast. The incident occurred on Friday 23 May 2008.

Witnesses said a 2 metre shark bit off one of his hands and took two bites out of his thigh – leaving a 30 cm gash. His friends paddled him to shore, but he lost consciousness before medics arrived.

Pantla beach is a few kilometres from Troncones beach, where there was a fatal shark attack on 28 April this year.

Jorge Duque Valle, who witnessed the attack, said: "He raised his hand and screamed, and that was when his hand and leg were bitten.

"Osvaldo went under. He was under water for a while and then he emerged bleeding."

No other details were reported.

Sources:
The Telegraph
Reuters
BBC News

FATAL – 14 May 2008 – Turtle Island, Yasawa, Fiji – diver attacked

Aisake Sadole, 28, died from excessive blood loss after being bitten on the left leg and face while night diving with friends in waters off Turtle Island, Yasawa, Fiji. The incident took place sometime after 9pm on 14 May 2008.

Brief reports from Fiji Live and The Fiji Times say a group of villagers went night diving around 9pm. After several hours they realised one of the group had not surfaced. The found Sadole's body “at the bottom of the sea”.

He was taken to Lautoka Hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Fiji Live
The Fiji Times

INJURED – 9 May 2008 – Middelton Beach, Albany, Western Australia – swimmer attacked

CAPTION: taken immediately after shark attack at Middleton Beach. The picture shows Joanne Lucas helping victim Jason Cull to shore (two heads in foreground) while Jason's two friends swim to shore (the two heads further out) kicking the water to scare the shark off. It's fin can be seen close behind.

Jason Cull, 37, suffered major wounds to his left leg after being bitten by a four-metre White Pointer (Great White) shark while swimming with two friends about 80 metres off Middleton Beach in Albany, Western Australia. The attack occurred about 7.30am Friday 9 May 2008.

In a remarkable act of bravery he was rescued by a local woman, mother-of-three Joanne Lucas who swam out to him and brought him to shore. His two friends swam in behind them while the shark circled them just metres away.

Cull told media he saw a dark shape in the water and thought it was a dolphin.

"It was much bigger than a dolphin when it came up. It banged straight into me - I realised what it was, it was a shark,'' he said.

"I sort of punched it, and it grabbed me by the leg and dragged me under the water.

"I just remember being dragged backwards underwater. I felt along it, I found its eye and I poked it in the eye, and that's when it let go.''

Lucas, who was on the beach at the time of the attack, told media about the incident.

"I just saw someone thrashing in the water and saying 'Help me, help me.

"I thought it was just a dolphin [in the water] but someone else was screaming, `He has been attacked,' so I raced down there."

"Instinct just kicked in.

"I didn't even have to think about it, which is amazing really. It all just happened. I didn't think, I just thought I had to get in there.

"I got to him and he said: 'Thank God. Thank you so much -- a shark has attacked my leg.''

"It thought it was a dolphin to start with, but when he told me it had taken a big chunk (from his leg), I thought `Oh no'.

"I kept thinking that I've got to get him in before it turns around and comes after us. I was thinking I have to beat (the shark) in (to shore).

"I just kept pulling him through the water, pulling him in.''

Lucas said when they got to shore, they wrapped towels on the wounds as makeshift pressure bandages. "He had huge chunks taken out of his leg, his calf and the knee area,'' she said. I just kept talking to him because I didn't want him to go unconscious. Everyone was so good, they all just got into the mode and helped out. He held it together, he was just fantastic.''

Cull was treated by surf club members on the beach, given first aid and oxygen, and taken by St John Ambulance to Albany Regional Hospital, where he underwent surgery on his left leg. He was later reported in a stable condition.

Sources:
Perth Now

Sydney Morning Herald

The Australian

Courier Mail

Photo credit:
Perth Now. Photo by Mark Bickerdike

INJURED – 7 May 2008 – New Smyrna Beach, Florida, US – wader attacked

A brief report in the Miami Herald says a 6-year-old boy was bitten in the foot by a shark in the waters off New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Florida, US.

Authorities say the boy was bitten Wednesday morning, 7 May 2008, no more than a couple of yards from the shore. His injury was minor. He received stitches at the hospital.

No other details were reported.

Source: Miami Herald

FATAL – 28 April 2008 – Troncones, near Ixtapa, Pacific coast, Mexico – surfer attacked

Adrian Ruiz, 24, died from blood loss after being bitten on the leg by a shark while surfing at Troncones beach, near Ixtapa, Pacific coast, Mexico. The incident took place on Monday 28 April 2008.

The public security ministry in the state of Guerrero said in a statement the shark bite opened a 38 cm wound from his hip to his knee, exposing his femur.

"He was rushed in a bystander's vehicle to the military naval hospital, where he died soon after from blood loss," the statement said.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Reuters

INJURED – 26 April 2008 – New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Florida, USA – surfer attacked

A 21-year-old surfer (name not reported) was nipped on the right foot by a shark while surfing at New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Florida, USA.

The incident occurred around 9am on Saturday 26 April 2008.

The surfer suffered minor injuries and managed to drive himself to Bert Fish Medical Center.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Daytona Beach News Journal

FATAL – 25 April 2008 -- Solana Beach, San Diego, California, USA – swimmer attacked

Dave Martin, 66, died from extensive injuries after he was bitten on both legs by what is believed to be a Great White shark. The incident occurred while he was swimming with friends from the Triathlon Club of San Diego around 7am at Solana Beach on Friday, 25 April 2008.

One witness said there was a single bite across both legs.

San Diego County sheriff's Sgt. Randy Webb said Martin was taken to a lifeguard station for emergency treatment but was pronounced dead at the scene.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography shark expert Richard Rosenblatt was quoted as saying the shark was probably a great white between 3.5 metres and five metres long.

The attack took place about 150 metres offshore. Two swimmers were about 20 metres ahead of the man when they heard him scream for help. They turned around and dragged him back to shore.

Rob Hill, also a member of the triathlon club said he was running on the beach at the time of the attack.

“They saw him come up out of the water, scream 'shark,' flail his arms and go back under,” Hill said.

Hill said the flesh was just hanging and he may have bled to death before he left the water.

Sources:
Associated Press

Agence France Presse

PIC:

Triathlon club members try to resuscitate Martin

Credit: SkyNews

FATAL – 8 April 2008 -- Lighthouse Beach, Ballina, New South Wales, Australia – surfer attacked

Peter Edmonds, 16, died of blood loss from his wounds after being bitten by a shark while bodyboarding with a friend at Lighthouse Beach, Ballina, New South Wales, Australia. The incident happened at 8am Tuesday 8 April 2008.

His friend Brock Curtis pulled him ashore following the attack, but was unable to resuscitate him. He was bitten twice on the left leg.

The attack happened in murky water close to the mouth of the Richmond River estuary.

Brock said he saw his friend in trouble and paddled out to him

The report from The West Australian newspaper describes the event:

"As he approached him he saw the water was beginning to turn red," Surf Life Saving NSW spokesman Stephen Leahy said later.

Brock told the Australian Associated Press (AAP) he saw a "big, grey shadow" pass by him but still paddled toward his stricken friend.

He was not afraid because he did not know what it was.

"In the water I was in line with him (Peter) and noticed that he was in a bit of trouble," he said.

"As I headed towards him it looked like he was catching a wave and was heading back to shore.

"Then I saw him on his back with his head above the water so then he turned so he was face down.

"I thought he was only joking, so I went over to him and as I flipped him over I saw his leg."

Brock dragged Peter to shore and tried in vain to resuscitate him, only for him to die of blood loss.

"He didn't make one noise," he said.

A shark expert at Taronga Zoo, which keeps the Australian
Shark Attack File, said it was most likely a Bull shark.

Links:
Australian Shark Attack File
Australian Associated Press

Sources:
Sydney Morning Herald
The West Australian

INJURED – 4 April 2008 – Ponce de Leon Inlet, Volusia County, Florida, US -- surfer attacked

Joe Giangrasso, 18, was bitten on the right foot while surfing south of Ponce de Leon Inlet, Volusia County, Florida, US on Friday 4 April 2008.

Giangrasso suffered gashes to his foot that required numerous stitches.

He was treated by the Volusia County Beach Patrol and his friends drove him to Bert Fish Medical Center for treatment.

He described the attack: "I thought he was going to hit me and hold on for a second. When I went to pull out, he clamped on harder and shook his head. I tried to reach, grab and push, do whatever I could do, finally he let go."

No other details were reported such as the size or species of the shark.

Sources:
Central Florida News 13

WFTV.com

Photo credit (from video footage): NECM.com

INJURED – 25 March 2008 – West Palm Beach, Florida, US – swimmer attacked

Nick Canganelli, 15, sustained minor injuries after he was bitten on the calf by what is believed to be a 6-foot Spinner shark.

The incident happened at a private beach at West Palm Beach, Florida, US, on Tuesday 25 March 2008.

Nick said his brother and he were “playing with small schools of fish swimming close to shore when he felt something much bigger bite his lower calf”.

"It was instantaneous. It happened so fast I didn't even know how to react." Nick was quoted as saying. "I didn't even know until a surfer near by said dude, you just got bit by a shark."
The surfer told him the shark appeared to be 6 feet long.

Nick said he leg bled profusely when he left the water. He was rushed to hospital where he received stitches. He was expected to make a full recovery.

Sources:
My Fox Cleveland

INJURED – 21 March 2008 -- New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Florida, US – wader attacked

A 13-year-old boy received two deep gashes to his ankle from a shark bite while wading in thigh-deep water at New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Florida, US, on Friday afternoon 21 March 2008.

The boy, whose name was not reported, was treated on the beach by beach patrol officials and then taken to hospital for stitches.

No other details were reported.

Sources:

WESH
Tampabays10

FATAL – 24 February 2008 – Bahamas (update from Florida attack report) – diver attacked

New reports clarify the report of a diver who was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital on Sunday 24 February 2008, after being bitten by a shark. The updated reports say he was bitten on the leg while diving off the Bahamas and died of his wounds.

Markus Groh, 49, an Austrian lawyer on vacation, was doing an open water shark diving trip organised by Scuba Adventures off the Bahamas in the Caribbean. He was reportedly bitten on the leg during the dive. He was airlifted from the diving boat Shearwater to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Florida where he was pronounced dead on Monday 25 February.

There was not report detailing the extent of his injuries.

It was unclear what type of shark was involved in the attack.

The Deeper Blue website reports that the Shearwater was owned and operated by Jim Abernethy a pioneer of open water diving with sharks with more than 35 years of experience diving with sharks. This was apparently the “first reported fatality resulting from an incident between a shark and a scuba diver during a commercially organised shark diving expedition”.

Sources:
Deeper Blue
Associated Press

FATAL – August 2005 (Inquest 25 February 2008) – Glenelg, South Australia - diver attacked

A report out of Adelaide, Australia on 25 February 2008, relates details of an inquest into the fatal shark attack on Jarrod Stehbens, 23, at Glenelg, South Australia in August 2005.

Shark Attack Monitor reported the incident in August 2005.

Stehbens was diving with Justin Rowntree. The pair was doing research for the University of Adelaide.

Rowntree told the Coroner’s Court: “I was looking at Jarrod when I felt a whack on the back which rotated me around.

“Initially I thought it was a dolphin but pretty quickly I realised it was not.”

He said Stehbens was a highly experienced diver who fought for his life against the five meter Great White shark.

“It went straight towards Jarrod, initially he whacked it directly on the snout and it seemed to go away momentarily,” Rowntree said.

“Then it came back and took his leg and dragged him under ... it happened like a flash.”

He said it would have been Stehbens’ last dive in South Australia before he went to live in Germany.

Sources:
Daily Telegraph

INJURED – 24 February 2008 – Deep water off Broward Country, Florida, US – diver attacked

In a brief early report from the Miami Herald and WPTV, a 50-year-old man was bitten by a shark while diving in waters off Broward County, Florida, US. The attack took place on Sunday 24 February 2008.

The unidentified man was airlifted from the commercial diving vessel, Sheer Dimensions, about 50 miles east of Fort Lauderdale. He was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital.

The boat is believed to belong to a diving operator specialising in shark dives. It was not known if the victim was attacked during a shark dive.

The crew of the air rescue helicopter said they received the call around 10am, local time.

There were no details reported regarding the extent of the diver’s injuries or what type of shark it was.

Sources:
Miami Herald
WPTV

INJURED – 15 February 2008 – Ponce De Leon Inlet, Volusia County, Florida, US – surfer attacked

A 25-year-old surfer (the man was not named) was bitten on the left foot while surfing about 200 metres south of Ponce de Leon Inlet's south jetty about 5pm on Friday, 15 February 2008.

A rescue official said he did have some lacerations, but nothing life-threatening. He was bandaged and drove himself to Bert Fish Medical Center.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Daytona Beach News Journal

INJURED - 21 February 2008 - Tahiti - Spearfisherman attacked

A very brief report on 21 February 2008 from ITN says a Tahitian spearfisherman, Apia Hauata, 26, was bitten by a shark on the face while spearfishing in a coral lagoon. The date and place of the attack are not reported.

The report says relatives took him to a local hospital where doctors stitched up his wounds.

Dr Ronan Richard is quoted as saying Hauata had fish that he had caught all around him when the attack happened.

"He suffered considerable wounds to the face including to the jaw and lower-lip with several punctures to the skin," the doctor said, but was expected to make a full recovery.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Independent Television News

Photo source:
Independent Television News

SCARED - 7 February 2008 - Horseshoe Bay, NSW, Australia - surfer attacked

Fiona Casey, 14, was bumped on her arm by a one metre shark while paddling out to a surf break in Horseshoe Bay, NSW, Australia. She was not injured as her wetsuit protected her from abrasions from the shark skin. However, she was reportedly shocked and received a lame arm after the incident.

The incident happened on Thursday 7 February 2008.

Fiona said she was paddling back out to the break after catching a wave when she felt something hit her arm hard.

She lashed out and hit the one-metre shark with her elbow.

She said she didn’t leave the water after the incident.

“I was scared but the waves were just too good.”

Sources:
The Macleay Argus

INJURED – 6 February 2008 – Brevard County, Florida, US – surfer attacked

A surfer, not named, was reportedly bitten on the foot by a shark while surfing near Patrick Air Force Base in Brevard County, Florida, US. The incident occurred on Wednesday 6 February 2008.

According to witness Jon Humphrey, 33, the man refused treatment.

Humphrey, 33, told Local 6 News partner Florida Today that he and a friend paddled out about 50 to 100 feet off the beach when another surfer near them began shouting, "Shark!"

Humphrey said he looked up and the guy was "punching a shark that was on his foot."

"He got onto the beach and was holding his foot," said Humphrey, who along with his friend grabbed a T-shirt and wrapped the man's foot. He said the wound appeared to be bad enough to require stitches.

Humphrey said the shark appeared to be about 3 feet long.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Local 6.com

INJURED – 27 January 2008 – offshore, Coolangatta, Australia – fisherman attacked

A 20-year-old Australian fisherman suffered deep lacerations to his right calf after being bittern by a 3-metre Mako shark. The incident happened after the shark was reeled aboard a tuna boat, some 100 nautical miles off Coolangatta, Australia.

The 90kg shark whipped around and bit him on the right calf when he stepped on its tail, according to media reports.

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted a spokesman for RACQ CareFlight, which was called to airlift the man hospital, as saying: “There’s a few hands on the deck and they could not release the shark from the leg at all until they had cut the shark’s head off.”

“It was locked on. The bite has gone down to the bone.

“I've seen a photo of the wound and it's pretty messy.”

The man (not named) was reported in a stable condition and due to undergo emergency surgery in The Gold Coast Hospital at the time of this blog.

Paramedic Darrin Hatchman said the victim was lucky to be alive because the bite narrowly missed major blood vessels and arteries at the back of the knee.

“If it had have been a couple of millimetres either way, and a little bit more of a voracious bite, it would've been a real mercy dash to stop him from bleeding out,” Hatchman told ABC Radio.

Sources:
Sydney Morning Herald