Fatal Shark Attack Sandestin

[Eagle]

Sad news.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/26/national/26shark.html

Jun 25, 4:49 PM (ET)


SANDESTIN, Fla. (AP) - A 14-year-old girl died Saturday after a shark attacked her while she and a companion were swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, authorities said.

The teenagers were swimming on boogie boards about 100 yards offshore when they noticed a dark shadow in the water, authorities said.

"One of the swimmers was bitten. It was the lower portions of her body," said Walton County Sheriff's spokeswoman Donna Shank. The other swimmer was not injured.

Both girls swam to shore, and the victim was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead, Shank said. The girl was on vacation from Louisiana, but her name was not immediately released.

The attack happened near the Camping on the Gulf Holiday Travel Park, about 45 miles east of Pensacola on the Florida Panhandle.

Patrick O'Neill, the campground's general manager, refused to comment.

Authorities closed about 20 miles of beaches to swimming shortly after the attack. It's the height of the summer tourism season along the coast and the beaches were packed with people.

"This doesn't happen very often at all - very, very seldom," said Mike McKee, front desk supervisor at the nearby Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort and Spa.

Florida had the largest number of documented shark attacks worldwide in 2003 with 30, according to statistics compiled by the American Elasmobranch Society and the Florida Museum of Natural History. There were 12 attacks off the coast of Florida last year.

[Eagle]

Sad news.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/26/national/26shark.html

Jun 25, 4:49 PM (ET)


SANDESTIN, Fla. (AP) - A 14-year-old girl died Saturday after a shark attacked her while she and a companion were swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, authorities said.

The teenagers were swimming on boogie boards about 100 yards offshore when they noticed a dark shadow in the water, authorities said.

"One of the swimmers was bitten. It was the lower portions of her body," said Walton County Sheriff's spokeswoman Donna Shank. The other swimmer was not injured.

Both girls swam to shore, and the victim was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead, Shank said. The girl was on vacation from Louisiana, but her name was not immediately released.

The attack happened near the Camping on the Gulf Holiday Travel Park, about 45 miles east of Pensacola on the Florida Panhandle.

Patrick O'Neill, the campground's general manager, refused to comment.

Authorities closed about 20 miles of beaches to swimming shortly after the attack. It's the height of the summer tourism season along the coast and the beaches were packed with people.

"This doesn't happen very often at all - very, very seldom," said Mike McKee, front desk supervisor at the nearby Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort and Spa.

Florida had the largest number of documented shark attacks worldwide in 2003 with 30, according to statistics compiled by the American Elasmobranch Society and the Florida Museum of Natural History. There were 12 attacks off the coast of Florida last year.

[RushMarkRush]

The girl who was fatally bitten did NOT swim to shore....a local surfer paddled out and pulled her from a huge pool of blood and actually had to fight the shark off, beating it with his hand....he finally got her back to shore on his board. She had been bitten three or four times. One of her legs was severely bitten, causing her to bleed to death. About ten miles to the West, there was a huge fishing Tournament going on all weekend.
A week later a 16 year old boy was bitten off Cape San Blas and lost his leg but survived. Both are believed to be Bull Sharks.
Sharks are out there all the time, as the Gulf of Mexico is the third most shark infested body of water in the world. Most of these attacks occur in less than three feet of water.

[RushMarkRush]

The girl who was fatally bitten did NOT swim to shore....a local surfer paddled out and pulled her from a huge pool of blood and actually had to fight the shark off, beating it with his hand....he finally got her back to shore on his board. She had been bitten three or four times. One of her legs was severely bitten, causing her to bleed to death. About ten miles to the West, there was a huge fishing Tournament going on all weekend.
A week later a 16 year old boy was bitten off Cape San Blas and lost his leg but survived. Both are believed to be Bull Sharks.
Sharks are out there all the time, as the Gulf of Mexico is the third most shark infested body of water in the world. Most of these attacks occur in less than three feet of water.