# Shame to hear about the Shark attack



## inawe (May 24, 2003)

wow people out there enjoying theirselves and get killed  sad to hear gang


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

Hopefully, parents will advise their children not to venture too far out in the future and reduce the risks.

Such precautions usually only come after tragic events like this and sadly too late for the young girl who lost her life while enjoying a swim with her friend.

God Bless Her


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## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

Amen and Amen


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

That day last week when we were out at Sebastian, I wouldn't have gone in the water for anything. Murky water is favored by bull sharks and they are the ones who are responsible for so many serious or fatal attacks.

I explained that to the surfer who came with us on the ride back home. Maybe she'll give up surfing after that, or maybe the broken nose will do it.


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## BentHook (Dec 22, 2002)

*2nd shark attack*

Shark attacks 2nd teen off Fla. Panhandle
People returned to the beach in Destin, Fla., Sunday, June 26, 2005, one day after a shark killed a 14-year-old Louisiana girl. Extra lifeguards staffed by the sheriff's beach patrol officers were added along the Florida Panhandle coast. According to statistics compiled by the American Elasmobranch Society and the Florida Museum of Natural History, Florida averaged more than 30 shark attacks a year from 2000 to 2003, but there were only 12 attacks off the state's coast last year. (AP Photo/Mari Darr~Welch) 
By Bill Kaczor, Associated Press Writer | June 27, 2005

PENSACOLA, Fla. --A teenage boy was bitten and critically injured Monday in the second shark attack in three days along the Florida Panhandle.

The boy, whose age and name were not released, was fishing in waist-deep water when he was attacked. He was taken to Bay Medical Center in Panama City. The nature of his injuries was not immediately released, but he underwent surgery and his condition stabilized, hospital spokeswoman Christa Hild said.

"That means he's going to be OK," she said.

The boy was attacked off Cape San Blas, a popular vacation destination about 80 miles southeast of the Destin area, where 14-year-old Jamie Marie Daigle of Gonzales, La., was killed by a shark on Saturday.

The boy was fishing with two friends when the shark bit him in the right thigh, nearly severing his leg, said Gulf County Sheriff's Capt. Bobby Plair.

The three then tried to wrestle the shark off the boy, hitting it in the nose several times. The teen was pulled ashore by his friends, and a doctor who happened to be nearby began treatment before the boy was taken to the hospital, Plair said.

"It got the main arteries in the right leg," Plair said, adding that the boy lost a large amount of blood.

Gulf County has no lifeguards on any of its beaches, Plair said.

On Saturday, Daigle had been swimming on a boogie board with a friend about 100 yards from shore when a shark tore away the flesh on one leg from her hip to her knee.

Erich Ritter of the Shark Attack Institute said the girl was probably attacked by a 6-foot bull shark, based on measurements of the bite wound. He said it was unlikely the same shark was responsible for Monday's attack.

After Saturday's attack, a 20-mile stretch of shore was closed to swimmers, but beaches reopened Sunday with a double staff of sheriff's beach patrol officers. On Monday, off-duty deputies were called in to beef up beach patrols and watch for sharks from the air and the water.

Florida averaged more than 30 shark attacks a year from 2000 to 2003, but there were only 12 attacks off the state's coast last year, according to figures compiled by the American Elasmobranch Society and the Florida Museum of Natural History.

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On the Net:

International Shark Attack File: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Sharks/ISAF/ISAF.htm


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## rattler (Jul 3, 2004)

its their world...hate to say it...bycatch...its gonna happen...they have always been there...put pressure on their enviroment and things will happen...JMHO


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## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

rattler said:


> its their world...hate to say it...bycatch...its gonna happen...they have always been there...put pressure on their enviroment and things will happen...JMHO


So true, Rattler. I have a degree in biology (but not Marine Biology) and unfortunately, people tend to attach human traits to animals. It is EXTREMELY unfortunate that the young girl was killed and the young boy was injured, but we can't blame the sharks. They are only doing what Mother Nature and God intended them to do. The parents probably don't see it that way, and I understand that also. If a shark attacks humans, we can't eradicate all the sharks anymore than we can erradicate all the lions after an attack, or all the pit bulls, or grizzly bears, etc. If I mishandle a blue, barracuda, shark, or whatever, and I get bitten, then I see it as my fault. I am DEFINITELY not a PETA person, but these things do happen and tragedies such as this are going to occur in the future as well. One can't blame the kids or the parents since they were only there to enjoy their vacation, and one can't blame the sharks as they were in their territory doing what comes naturally. It's unfortunate, but a fact of life. The key is EDUCATION and PREVENTION. How that comes about is everyone's responsibility. JMHO...Larry


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## Genghis (Nov 2, 2004)

sprtsracer said:


> One can't blame the kids or the parents since they were only there to enjoy their vacation, and one can't blame the sharks as they were in their territory doing what comes naturally. It's unfortunate, but a fact of life. The key is EDUCATION and PREVENTION. How that comes about is everyone's responsibility. JMHO...Larry


You had me up until this bit. Not the kids' or parents' fault? The girl was 100 yards offshore on a boogie board. The boy was standing in chest dee water with a bag of bait on his leg (the leg that got tagged). Education and Prevention are certainly called for, but I think that there is plenty of blame that can rightfully be attached to the kids for doing unwise (in the case of the boy, insane) things and to the parents for not having educated their children. Can you imagine letting your son stand in chest deep water known to hold a fair number of sharks with a bait bag on his leg?


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## Rob (Jan 7, 2005)

Have to agree with Genghis. Bait on your person while in the surf is risky. Also, from what I understand the girl who was killed was out closer to 200 yds, according to the surfer who tried to rescue her. Terrible tragedy. I have 3 young kids of my own. My heart goes out to her family.


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## Rob (Jan 7, 2005)

Failed to mention that I was down in Orange Beach, Al last week. Wednesday night I landed a six foot black tip. Crowd of about 50 spectators watched and took pictures. I, of course, did not have a camera. 

Rob


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## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

BentHook said:


> from the article...
> 'Gulf County has no lifeguards on any of its beaches, Plair said.'


OK...who's to blame here? My point was that in Florida, much of the "business" comes from Tourism and not Shark Fishing. The ads are geared toward that and every attempt is made to lure the tourist dollar here with pictures of pristine beaches and calm water, etc etc etc. When you present this to a public unaware of the dangers, you are asking for trouble. I stand by my original statement.

"The key is EDUCATION and PREVENTION. How that comes about is *everyone's responsibility* (emphasis added)."

When a tourist sees all the "PR hype" coupled with no warnings and no lifeguards on the beach, what can we expect. Someone from Cleveland or any other landlocked part of the country doesn't even think about it the same way we do. WE know what's out there and they don't. Hence...EDUCATION...they should be made aware of the dangers - and PREVENTION...i.e. lifeguards and patrols?????

I'm not ready to blame the parents just yet, when the local Chambers of Commerce paint such a pretty picture to get them (and their money) here. I certainly didn't mean to start any controversy on this forum, but I think we need to try to put ourselves in the shoes of the family from Muscogee who got the pretty brochure and saw all the ads and who were going to a beach to enjoy themselves. I would venture a guess that there was not even one photo of a shark in that brochure. How many of the local "constabulary" went up and down the beach warning fishermen and bathers that there were sharks in the waters in that area? I'm not saying that they should do that either...just that those who do know better can't blame those who don't know better. Also, to lure tourists in for the beaches without having ANY lifeguards, especially after a similar recent attack not all that far away is, in my opinion, totally inexcusable.


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