Shark attack in LBTS!

[DebbyDiver]

Oakland Park teen emerges from ocean with shark locked onto abdomen

Sun-Sentinel.com

5:53 AM EDT, September 14, 2007

An Oakland Park teen who went swimming at the beach Thursday emerged with a nurse shark latched onto his abdomen.

A well-aimed punch by a Broward Fire-Rescue lieutenant forced the 3- to 4-foot-long shark to release its grip before it could do any serious damage to the teen.

Brandon Chapman, 14, was treated and released at Broward Medical Center on Thursday evening for minor injuries from the shark.

The Broward Sheriff's Office said Chapman was in about three feet of water at Anglin's Fishing Pier in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea when the shark went after him just before 5 p.m. Thursday.

Someone at the fishing pier called the police about a shark attack, and officers arrived with fire-rescue personnel, who considered using an ax and a "Jaws of Life" extrication tool to separate the teen from the shark.

Fire Rescue Lt. Rob Melendez delivered the punch to the shark's nose that forced it to release its grip.

"The shark was tossed back into the ocean and quickly swam away," the Sheriff's Office said.


Copyright © 2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

 

[Scubakevdm]

Oakland Park teen emerges from ocean with shark locked onto abdomen

What kind of serious damage do they think they averted by punching the shark in time? I mean how long was the thing attached to the kid before the guy smacked it?

 

[OceanObsessed]

We should form a team and go and get that killer. I have a kayak, a polespear and a bottle of rum

 

[DebbyDiver]

The article doesn't say, but I thought that punching the fish was stooopid. Punching it possibly could have made it sink in deeper and cause some real damage. And sheesh, wouldn't it let go once it started gasping due to being out of the water?

I was wondering how this happened, I don't know nurse sharks to attack unprovoked. And I've never seen one in so close...has anyone else seen one so close to shore? 99.999% of the nurses that I've seen have had their head seriously deep into a hole out on the reef.

 

[DebbyDiver]

We should form a team and go and get that killer. I have a kayak, a polespear and a bottle of rum

This is the only type of rum that works on rabid nurse sharks!!

 

[DebbyDiver]

Thank you mods!

 

[Scubakevdm]

The article doesn't say, but I thought that punching the fish was stooopid. Punching it possibly could have made it sink in deeper and cause some real damage. And sheesh, wouldn't it let go once it started gasping due to being out of the water?

I was wondering how this happened, I don't know nurse sharks to attack unprovoked. And I've never seen one in so close...has anyone else seen one so close to shore? 99.999% of the nurses that I've seen have had their head seriously deep into a hole out on the reef.

Well, I mean I guess the guy had to do something for the kid, and punching the shark seems to have done the trick... I just thought it was kinda funny that they said "forced the 3- to 4-foot-long shark to release its grip before it could do any serious damage to the teen." Which implies that serious damage was somehow imminent. I'm sure the thing was hanging off of the kid ten minutes or so before the fire department showed up. I'm just glad they didn't opt for the axe.

 

[Ann Marie]

Later this morning The Today show is going to interview the teenager that was bit. So far the reporters have stated that the nurse shark was caught in a fishing line and he tried to rescue it. It was at this point the shark latched on to the 14 y/o.

One of the rescuers said when asked for advice, "Don't touch things that can bite."

 

[johnny_bravo]

This was on MSNBC a couple of hours ago...the wound while not deep is quite visible...looks like a gigantic hickey with a couple of small punctures...apparently the shark was attached 30-40 minutes to the teenage victim before it let go after a punch in the nose.

Cheers.

-J.-

 

[Rick Murchison]

Once a nurse shark decides to latch on, they can be a real PITA to get loose. Last case I know of ended up with actually having to cut the shark's jaw open.
However... every case of nurse shark bite I've ever heard of has been after the victim grabbed the shark, usually by the tail, and held on to the point that the shark "felt" it couldn't get away and so attacked. Sort of an "I'm takin' you with me" deal...
Rick