Tammy Malphurs, the Interim Director of Beach Safety Ocean Rescue, reported that a young man from Ohio, aged 21, was bitten by a shark while playing football in knee-deep water at New Smyrna Beach in Florida on the Fourth of July.
He suffered a shark bite on his right foot.
The man sustained injuries that were not life-threatening and he was swiftly taken to a hospital nearby for medical attention. Unfortunately, no additional information is currently available regarding his identity or his place of residence in Ohio.
According to Malphurs, this year has already seen three reported shark bites in Volusia County. New Smyrna Beach is notorious for being the “shark bite capital of the world” due to the frequent occurrence of such incidents.
According to the International Shark Attack File of the University of Florida, the year 2023 saw a total of 69 unprovoked shark attacks across the globe.
According to the latest report on shark bites, the numbers have increased in 2023. Once again, Florida and Volusia County are at the top of the list.
Out of the total 69 incidents reported, the United States tops the chart with 36 incidents, followed by other nations. Among the states in the US, Florida reported the highest number of incidents with 16 cases. Additionally, Volusia County in Florida reported the maximum number of incidents among all the counties in the state with eight cases.
Gavin Naylor, who is the director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History, suggests that there are certain measures that beachgoers can take to prevent getting bitten by sharks. These measures include:
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- Don’t wear shiny jewelry, as it catches the light like scales, which might make sharks mistake people for fish.
- Don’t go in the water where lots of baitfish are swimming around.
- Don’t swim on your own, which makes you an easier target for sharks.
- Don’t go swimming at dawn or dusk.
- Don’t go swimming where there are fishermen fishing.
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