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
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
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
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
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
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
Thursday, February 21, 2008
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
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
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
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
Sunday, February 10, 2008
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
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
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