Shark attack in the keys

[deeper thoughts]

Woman in surgery after apparent shark attack
Posted on Wed, Aug. 08, 2007Digg it del.icio.us reprint or license print email
By ERIKA BERAS
eberas@MiamiHerald.com
A Jacksonville woman was undergoing surgery Wednesday for injuries she received in an encounter with a shark in Monroe County waters.

******, 19, was on a boat in the Keys Tuesday afternoon when she decided to jump into the water and cool off. Immediately she felt something gnawing on her arm.

***** began screaming and thrashing.

******* boyfriend *******, with whom she had been vacationing, jumped into the water and pulled her out.

She was taken to Mariners Hospital in the Keys, and then airlifted to Baptist Health South in Kendall.

Surgery was taking place Wednesday afternoon.

Although ******* did not get a good look at the fish that attacked her, Dr. Randy Miller, who was performing the surgery, said the gashes on her right arm appeared to match wounds inflicted by a shark, possibly a bull shark.

Silverman said he handles about four shark-bite cases a year.

He said the gash is 20 centimeters long and eight centimeters wide.


I heard this yesterday on ch 16 coast guard radio but I do not know where or have any more info.

Best wishes to the victim

 

[Vayu]

Sounds like some real bad luck.

Hope she is ok and gets well soon.

 

[Underbluewaters]

Oh No!! Right after shark week!!! Sucks its usually always people on vacation.... Sorry to hear the news

 

[johnny_bravo]

Yikes...any idea what site they were diving on?

Cheers.

-J.-

 

[deeper thoughts]

CH 7 news just reported that it happened at the docks of Bud and Marys(Islamorada) when she went for a dip

 

[frogman_5]

It's not my intention to speculate. I just wouldn't swim around Bud & Mary's considering the number of charter fishing boats and the amount of fish cleaning going on in the marina.

Hope she recovers soon.

 

[fisheyeview]

Local 10 news reported that she jumped off the boat while it was docked at Bud & Mary's.

People at the marina said they had seen bullsharks in the marina that week.

It's sad that this happened, but I would not jump in the water at the marina.

 

[GatorKev]

Man, you always hate to hear about something like this. I just got back from the keys this weekend, Marathon actually. We saw a few sharks ourselves. Thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family for a speedy recovery!

 

[fldiver1]

Ok, the real story here is that she jumped off the back of the boat which was moored RIGHT BY the cleaning station!! That was smart! Also, the reports are that there was plenty of alcohol involved in the decision to jump in the water! Again, probably not so smart. Next is that it was a decent size barracuda that hit her and not a bull shark at all. I heard the reports about it being a 10ft bull, sounds like bull to me. A ten ft'er wouldve taken here whole arm off and not just left a 20X8cm bite. Think about how wide 8cm is across the bite pattern. Just about the same width as a large Cuda's mouth?

Hope she gets well soon but dont believe the reports on this one. Wasnt a shark at all.

 

[RedWingDiver]

Ok, the real story here is that she jumped off the back of the boat which was moored RIGHT BY the cleaning station!! That was smart! Also, the reports are that there was plenty of alcohol involved in the decision to jump in the water! Again, probably not so smart. Next is that it was a decent size barracuda that hit her and not a bull shark at all. I heard the reports about it being a 10ft bull, sounds like bull to me. A ten ft'er wouldve taken here whole arm off and not just left a 20X8cm bite. Think about how wide 8cm is across the bite pattern. Just about the same width as a large Cuda's mouth?

Hope she gets well soon but dont believe the reports on this one. Wasnt a shark at all.

I have to say that when I was reading this, I was thinking the exact same thing. I thought that there's no way it could have been a bull shark, but more likely a barracuda. If it were a bull, she probably would not still have her arm.

I'm cynical enough to believe that reporting it as a shark attack gives the media a much better story to tell.