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Young teenager bitten by shark; 4 shark bites reported last week

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Young teenager bitten by shark; 4 incidents in the last week

CAM WESH TWO NEWS LEE SHARK STORIES ARE USUALLY AMONG OUR MOST POPULAR ONLINE STORIES. FORTUNATELY, ALL WHO HAVE BEEN BITTEN SEEMS TO BE FINE, BUT WE WANT TO KNOW A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHY AND HOW IT HAPPENS. SO WITH US TONIGHT IS SHARK EXPERT DOCTOR MICHAEL HEITHAUS, HE’S A MARINE ECOLOGIST AND EXECUTIVE DEAN OF FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY. DOCTOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. FIRST, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT DESPITE THREE INCIDENTS IN LESS THAN A WEEK, SHARK BITES ARE ACTUALLY NOT THAT COMMON. YES, I MEAN, THERE ARE 70 UNPROVOKED ATTACKS EVERY YEAR AROUND THE WORLD. SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE WATER, THE CHANCE OF EXPERIENCING ONE OF THESE NEGATIVE INTERACTIONS IS REALLY, REALLY SMALL. DOCTOR, A FEW YEARS AGO I DID A STORY ABOUT A THING CALLED SHARK TAGGING. YOU PUT IT ON A SHARK AND HOPE YOU DON’T GET BITTEN EVERYWHERE. WHAT CAN SWIMMERS DO TO AVOID BEING MORE ATTRACTIVE TO SHARKS? WELL, YOU REMEMBER. YES. SOME OF THESE DEFENSES WORK A LITTLE. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. IF YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT SHARKS, DON’T SWIM IN MURY WATER. TALK TO LIFEGUARDS. YOU KNOW, LOOK TO IF THERE ARE SHARKS ACTIVE IN THE AREA OR IF THERE ARE FISH OR PEOPLE FISHING. YOU KNOW, MAYBE AVOID DEEP CUTS BETWEEN THE SHORE AND THE SANDBANS THAT COULD LEAD SHARKS. BUT, YOU KNOW, VOLUSIA COUNTY IS A LITTLE EXCEPTION WHERE WE HAVE MORE BITES THAN ALMOST ANYWHERE ELSE. BUT, YOU KNOW, USUALLY YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SHARKS, BUT IF YOU FOLLOW THESE FEW RULES, YOU WILL REDUCE YOUR CHANCES EVEN MORE. DOCTOR, YOU MENTIONED WATCHING FOR FISH ACTIVITY. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE BIG TABS OF BAIT FISH OR YOU SEE FISH BEATING THE SURFACE, THAT’S THE PREY OF THESE SHARKS. AND YOU KNOW, THE ATTACKS YOU’VE HEARD OF ARE PROBABLY BLACKTIP SHARKS. SO THESE ARE NOT SUPER BIG SHARKS. YOU KNOW, THEY’RE NOT LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES. AND YOU’RE PROBABLY MISCONFUSING A HAND OR A FOOT FOR PREY. BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE OFTEN IN THESE SHALLOW WATERS LOOKING FOR FOOD. SO IF THEY SEE THEIR FOOD, THEY MAY AVOID THAT AREA. WE OBVIOUSLY DON’T HEAR OF A LOT OF DEATHS, YOU KNOW, FORTUNATELY. THAT’S AT LEAST ON OUR COAST BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF OUR SHARKS. BUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO GO IN THE WATER. WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM? ALSO, AGAIN, LOOK FOR SOME OF THESE SIGNS. GO TO THE PADDED BEACHES AND TALK TO THE GUARDS. BUT, YOU KNOW, IN MOST PARTS OF THE WORLD, DRIVING TO THE BEACH IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN GOING INTO THE WATER. AND EVEN IN THE WATER, THINGS LIKE BACKCURRENT CURRENTS ARE MUCH DEADLIER THAN SHARKS. YOU WANT TO BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS, BUT FEAR OF SHARKS SHOULDN’T STOP YOU FROM ENJOYING THE SEA. THAT’S A REALLY INTERESTING OPINION THAT DRIVING TO THE BEACH AND THE BACKCURRENT CURRENT ARE ACTUALLY MORE DANGEROUS. I THINK WE’RE JUST MORE AFRAID OF SHARKS BECAUSE MOVIES LIKE JAWS DID SHARKS A DISSERVE BACK IN THE DAY BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS IN THE WATER THAT CAN AFFECT YOU TOO. IT’S OBVIOUSLY A SEASONAL THING. IT SEEMS LIKE SHARK BITE SEASON IS IN FLORIDA, SO WHEN DOES IT GET OVER? WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST FACTORS IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE WATER. THE WARMER IT GETS, THE MORE PEOPLE ARE IN THE WATER. AND THAT INCREASES THE LEVEL OF ENCOUNTERS. BUT WHEN THE WATER GETS WARMER, YOU KNOW, IN JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MORE SHARKS AROUND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE HUMANS, THEY HAVE THEIR TEMPERATURE RANGE THAT THEY LIKE. AND THAT’S THE TIME WHEN A LOT OF SHARKS ARE IN THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE IN OUR COASTAL WATERS. YOU KNOW, NOW IT’S MORE LIKELY TO SEE BITES. BUT AGAIN, THEY ARE REALLY, REALLY RARE. OKAY, DOCTOR, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US AND CLEARING UP SOME OF THIS INFORMATION FOR US. STAY SAFE OUT THERE. IF YOU GET INTO OUR WATERS TOO,

Young teenager bitten by shark; 4 incidents in the last week

A 14-year-old was bitten by a shark in Daytona Beach Shores on Wednesday, Volusia County beach safety said. >> Video above: Expert explains recent series of shark attacksIt happened just before noon when the Missouri teen was bitten on the left foot while standing in knee-deep water.His injuries were not life-threatening and he was taken to the hospital for treatment, beach safety said.This is the fourth reported shark bite in the last week in Volusia County. Another 14-year-old was bitten at Ponce Inlet on Monday when he ran into the water. A 26-year-old man was hospitalized after being bitten by a shark in New Smyrna Beach on Friday last week. On Thursday, a 21-year-old man was hospitalized after being bitten in the same area.

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Florida —

A 14-year-old was bitten by a shark in Daytona Beach Shores on Wednesday, Volusia County Beach Safety said.

>> Video above: Expert explains recent series of shark attacks

It happened shortly before noon when the teenager from Missouri was standing in knee-deep water and was bitten on his left foot.

His injuries were not life-threatening and he was taken to hospital for treatment, beach safety said.

This is the fourth reported shark bite in Volusia County in the last week.

Another 14-year-old was bitten in Ponce Inlet on Monday when he ran into the water.

A 26-year-old man was hospitalized after being bitten by a shark in New Smyrna Beach on Friday of last week. On Thursday, a 21-year-old man was hospitalized after being bitten in the same area.

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