I hope Rudi is staying out of the water-
Boy in critical condition Friday after losing arm
Brett Norman
@PensacolaNewsJournal.com
Shortly after sunset Friday, a badly mauled 8-year-old boy was pulled from the Gulf of Mexico, a 6-foot shark thrashing in his wake.
Relatives and emergency crews struggled to revive the boy about 250 yards west of Langdon Beach in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
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Late Friday, he was listed in critical condition at Baptist Hospital. The boy, whose identity was not released, was in surgery at press time.
"It looked like the shark had been feeding on him," said Guy Ogburn, 44, a Nashville tourist who was on the beach when the boy's uncle wrestled the shark ashore.
The first ranger on the scene shot the shark three times, pried its mouth open and retrieved the boy's arm from the shark's gullet, chief ranger J.R. Tomasovic said. He said his best guess was that it was a bull shark.
A fatal shark attack has not occurred for 90 years in Escambia or Santa Rosa counties, and no one has been bitten since 1999 at the seashore, Tomasovic said.
Tomasovic believes the boy is from Ocean Springs, Miss., and that he traveled to the beach with his aunt and uncle.
"When I first got to him, his arm was off, his leg was wide open and there was no blood coming out," Ogburn said. "The aunt was giving him CPR and the man was pumping on his heart."
He said at least 100 beachgoers were nearby.
The victim was taken by BaptistFlight. His arm was taken by ambulance, but an Escambia sheriff's escort - ordered to expedite the transport - crashed into a car on Bob Sikes Bridge en route, Pensacola Beach volunteer firefighters said.
About an hour after the attack, as a full moon rose over the eastern Gulf, the distended gray shark continued to twitch and breathe.
"It's our belief that tonight's tragic incident has to do with visibility," Tomasovic said. "Sharks have very poor vision. When it's dark outside or the water is murky, if they see something splashing about they can't identify, they may strike."
Tomasovic said he warns people to remain ashore even during daylight if the water is clouded.
According to the International Shark Attack File, there were 79 confirmed shark attacks - 10 fatal - around the world last year, the most in the four decades since unprovoked shark encounters have been recorded. Florida reported 34 of those attacks.
Bob Hueter, director of the Center for Shark Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, said the Fourth of July weekend is typically one of the worst weeks for shark encounters for the Gulf Coast and Southeast Florida, partly because sharks are hunting for fish along their migratory routes.
"It's sort of the whole peak season for the sharks, and it's the height of the beach season," he said. "This is a time when some of the larger sharks are not far from shore."
If the attack shark turns out to be a bull, Hueter would not be surprised. Along the Gulf Coast, the bull shark is the most dangerous species, he said. At 6 to 9 feet, it is not the hulking great white of "Jaws" lore, but they are an aggressive shark.
"They will go after large prey, which is fairly unusual," Hueter said.
Shark activity hit the forefront last June when two men were attacked by a bull shark in Gulf Shores, Ala. One lost an arm.
The next week a boater reporter that a bull shark attacked his 22-foot pleasure vessel near Fort Pickens after he placed the boat between an aggressive shark and a group of swimmers. The same day a presumably sick bull shark beached itself in Seaside and snapped several times at rescuers.
Hueter called Friday's shark attack "an incredibly rare thing" and likened the chance of an attack to being struck by lightning. As the father of an 8-year-old boy, he too was horrified by the brutal mauling, but he also defended sharks, saying they were acting on natural hunting instincts.
"This is their territory. We've got to remember we are the visitors in the ocean and we need to try to remember to minimize the risk."
Reducing the risk
The relative risk of a shark attack is very small, but risks always should be minimized whenever possible in any activity, public safety officials believe. These precautions can reduce the chances of having an interaction with a shark:
Always stay in groups because sharks are more likely to attack a solitary individual.
Do not wander too far from shore - this isolates you and places you far from assistance.
Avoid being in the water during dark or twilight hours when sharks are most active and have a competitive sensory advantage.
Do not enter the water if bleeding from an open wound or if menstruating - a shark's olfactory ability is acute.
Avoid wearing shiny jewelry. The reflected light resembles the sheen of fish scales.
Avoid waters with known effluents or sewage and those being used by sport or commercial fisherman, especially if there are signs of bait fishes or feeding activity. Diving seabirds are good indicators of such action.
Use extra caution when waters are murky and avoid uneven tanning and bright-colored clothing - sharks see contrast particularly well.
Refrain from excess splashing and do not allow pets in the water because of their erratic movements.
Exercise caution when occupying the area between sandbars or near steep dropoffs - these are favorite hangouts for sharks. |
