Shark bites off snorkeler's arm, Bahamas

[Bubblesong]

What about those electrical shark repellants? Their expensive but seem to work according to videos posted.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I think they'd be worth the expense for many people if they were proven to be 100% effective at preventing 100% of bites from the majority of the sharks that are considered a risk to humans. Since that isn't the case, it is hard to justify the expense and PITA factor for such a rare thing where most people survive and most are able to make a full recovery without loss of limbs.

When I was in Los Angeles at a friend's house for a week, I would go hiking in the hills behind his development every afternoon. There were these small overgrown paths that would easily put a hiker in proximity to a rattler you'd never see that werte shortcuts to various trails in a park. I took great care to try to avoid a bite. Where did I meet a rattler? Right in the middle of the street just up from his house. You could probably wear a shark repellent and the moment you jumped into the water to urinate while holding onto a ladder you'd meet one.

 

[drbill]

Night diving in New England from shore gives me the creeps thanks to Jaws. It's funny because the chances of getting bitten in New England are low, but the primordial fear level for me is high.

Now Trace, those underwater scenes off the shores of "New England" were a bit funny since they included sequences of giant kelp (Macrocystis) from a site about a mile from my marine lab back in 1974.

 

[USMC CPL.]

When we go into the water we are not at the top of the food chain anymore. Just saying.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Now Trace, those underwater scenes off the shores of "New England" were a bit funny since they included sequences of giant kelp (Macrocystis) from a site about a mile from my marine lab back in 1974.

It's the Cape Cod architecture that gets me hearing John Williams music. When I was diving in your office, I think it only occurred to me once. La Jolla Cove was my first California dive and the first gruesome shark attack I ever read about in George LLano's book, Sharks: Attacks on Man. Catalina is like a happy playground even though it's in Mr. Big's backyard.

 

[drrich2]

Sorry this tragedy happened to this woman and by extension to her family; it's an awful loss. That said, I think other snorkelers should probably do...not much of anything different.

Any of you who work in health care are likely familiar with the concept of a 'plan of correction.' Something bad happens. Bad things aren't supposed to happen. The organization looks at the surrounding factors causing or enabling the bad thing, and make in-house policy/practice changes to prevent it happening in the future. At its best, this helps optimize systems for better safety. At less than its best, it creates scads of counter-productive red tape and the appearance of a deluded mindset that all bad things are preventable.

This one tragic occurrence is an anecdote. If it is repeated a number of times, that may merit corrective measures. If there's reason to think obvious bright jewelry may've led to the attack, it may be worth warning people (in which case this isn't just an anecdote; it's assumed to be another example of a previously known issue).

From Daily University Science News in May 2002 - ""Falling coconuts kill 150 people worldwide each year, 15 times the number of fatalities attributable to sharks," said George Burgess, Director of the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File and a noted shark researcher."

When you're outdoors in Florida or a Caribbean island, and there are palm trees nearby, do you wear a helmet?

Richard.

 

[Bob DBF]

...it's in Mr. Big's backyard.

In NorCal we refer to him as The Landlord.


Bob

 

[tilikum]

This is one of the few times I will ever agree with drrich on anything. File this unfortunate incident under "sh*t happens" and be thankful to be alive.

 

[drbill]

It's the Cape Cod architecture that gets me hearing John Williams music. When I was diving in your office, I think it only occurred to me once. La Jolla Cove was my first California dive and the first gruesome shark attack I ever read about in George LLano's book, Sharks: Attacks on Man. Catalina is like a happy playground even though it's in Mr. Big's backyard.

You should have been here last July when a 13 ft great white was sighted in the dive park by four different groups of divers. After the first two (led by friends of mine), I jumped in the water with my camera and dove for 75 minutes but didn't see it. While I was under the two additional sightings caused them to close the dive park. I wondered why I didn't see any other divers and was greeted with cries of "only you would be in the water" when I exited. The shark entered the park because some idiot in a fishing boat was cleaning yellowtail while anchored on the dive park line... two violations of city ordinances.

 

[laikabear]

You should have been here last July when a 13 ft great white was sighted in the dive park by four different groups of divers. After the first two (led by friends of mine), I jumped in the water with my camera and dove for 75 minutes but didn't see it. While I was under the two additional sightings caused them to close the dive park. I wondered why I didn't see any other divers and was greeted with cries of "only you would be in the water" when I exited. The shark entered the park because some idiot in a fishing boat was cleaning yellowtail while anchored on the dive park line... two violations of city ordinances.

I was there that day doing Fundies! We didn't see the shark either, though. We surfaced after some drills and they waved us out of the water.