Stuart Beach fatal attack
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We've had numerous beach closings in recent weeks due to sharks (spinners mostly I think) swarming the bait schools mitgrating along the coast.
Kiteboard surfer dies after shark attack off Stuart - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Kiteboard surfer dies after shark attack off Stuart
STUART - A kiteboard surfer attacked by sharks Wednesday afternoon died from his injuries, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
It was Martin County's first fatal shark attack, according to records going back to 1882.
About 4 p.m., a lifeguard was looking through his binoculars and saw Stephen Howard Schafer, 38, of Stuart, in distress about a quarter of a mile off shore from an unguarded beach just south of Stuart Beach, officials said.
When the lifeguard paddled out to Schafer, he was surrounded by sharks, officials said.
The lifeguard put Schafer on his rescue board and paddled to shore, where Schafer said he had been bitten by a shark, authorities said. He had multiple bite wounds.
Officials performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Schafer, and he was taken to Martin Memorial North Medical Center, where he died.
Schafer's friends said they are shocked by his death.
"I've never heard of multiple sharks in this area surrounding someone and fatally wounding him," said Teague Taylor, 36, a childhood friend. "He was the nicest person ever."
Normally, sharks appear in the area to eat migrating bait fish.
Taylor said he was surprised to see the sharks because they normally come around springtime. Taylor said he was surfing Tuesday near where his friend was attacked and saw several sharks.
"You always think in the back of your mind that [sharks] are out there," he said.
Jordan Schwartz, who has known Schafer for five years, said he was a very experienced kiteboard surfer.
"He was a super-nice guy, always mellow," Schwartz said. "I don't think he had any enemies."
It was unknown whether Stuart Beach would be open Thursday.
Prior to Wednesday's attack, the Treasure Coast's last fatal shark attack occurred Nov. 21, 1998, in Vero Beach. Authorities said James Willie Tellasmon, 9, was attacked by a shark north of Jaycee Beach. Tellasmon couldn't be found during a three-hour search that day. It wasn't until the next day that searchers found part of the boy's body, severed by a shark bite.
There have been about 14 deaths in Florida attributed to sharks, according to records provided by the University of Florida Museum of Natural History.
Kiteboard surfer dies after shark attack off Stuart - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Kiteboard surfer dies after shark attack off Stuart
STUART - A kiteboard surfer attacked by sharks Wednesday afternoon died from his injuries, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
It was Martin County's first fatal shark attack, according to records going back to 1882.
About 4 p.m., a lifeguard was looking through his binoculars and saw Stephen Howard Schafer, 38, of Stuart, in distress about a quarter of a mile off shore from an unguarded beach just south of Stuart Beach, officials said.
When the lifeguard paddled out to Schafer, he was surrounded by sharks, officials said.
The lifeguard put Schafer on his rescue board and paddled to shore, where Schafer said he had been bitten by a shark, authorities said. He had multiple bite wounds.
Officials performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Schafer, and he was taken to Martin Memorial North Medical Center, where he died.
Schafer's friends said they are shocked by his death.
"I've never heard of multiple sharks in this area surrounding someone and fatally wounding him," said Teague Taylor, 36, a childhood friend. "He was the nicest person ever."
Normally, sharks appear in the area to eat migrating bait fish.
Taylor said he was surprised to see the sharks because they normally come around springtime. Taylor said he was surfing Tuesday near where his friend was attacked and saw several sharks.
"You always think in the back of your mind that [sharks] are out there," he said.
Jordan Schwartz, who has known Schafer for five years, said he was a very experienced kiteboard surfer.
"He was a super-nice guy, always mellow," Schwartz said. "I don't think he had any enemies."
It was unknown whether Stuart Beach would be open Thursday.
Prior to Wednesday's attack, the Treasure Coast's last fatal shark attack occurred Nov. 21, 1998, in Vero Beach. Authorities said James Willie Tellasmon, 9, was attacked by a shark north of Jaycee Beach. Tellasmon couldn't be found during a three-hour search that day. It wasn't until the next day that searchers found part of the boy's body, severed by a shark bite.
There have been about 14 deaths in Florida attributed to sharks, according to records provided by the University of Florida Museum of Natural History.
AquaExplorer
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That is a really sucky way to go! Ugh......
Amazing how few, considering the amount of people recreating in the water daily in Fl. Many millions over the years.
As much as it makes a great headline in the news, it seems like it would be very difficult to get attacked by a shark, even if you tried.
Here's a bull shark the was swimming around me during deco in S. Fl, after diving the Hydro Atlantic with 3 spear fishermen. I was doing deco with one of the spear fisherman, and I think the shark was attracted by the sound of his firing (unloading) the gun.
Watching the shark was something interesting to do during deco, but it did make the countdown clock run slower.
They had some aerial video on the news the other night showing numerous sharks just off shore somewhere on the Atlantic coast of Fl. Media saying they were Tiger sharks. Saw this one on the news this morning. Seems kind of early for the bait fish thing.
Absolutely, the sharks know the sound of the gun and it's like Pavlov ringing the dog's dinner bell.
I can certainly attest to that.
Latest from the Sun-Sentinel, this should create a stir: Kiteboard surfer dies after shark attack off Stuart: Great white sharks suspected in death - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
DennisS
Contributor
There's certainly no shortage of sharks at this time of year.
All I could think about was kite fishing, where you have your bait splashing at the surface.
SDiverJim
Contributor
I saw it on the news as well. It seems more common with surfers and such that are active on the surface.
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