Florida Swimmer’s Legs Bitten By Bull Shark

A man swimming at Haulover Park Beach in Miami had both of his legs bitten by a shark on Sunday afternoon.

Shark Attack News

According to The Sun Sentinel, the unidentified man was exiting in the water when both of his legs were bitten by a bull shark about 4-to-5 feet long.

After being alerted of the shark’s presence, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Ocean Rescue lifeguards alerted beach patrons to exit the water.

The man was able to escape the water without sustaining any further bites and immediately received aid from the lifeguards. He was then taken to Aventura Hospital and was conscious and alert during the trip. His injuries were deemed non-life-threatening according to the Sentinel.

“In the process of exiting the water, a beach-goer was bitten in the lower extremities by what appeared to be a 4-to-5 foot bull shark,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesperson Erika Benitez told the Miami paper. “The person was able to get out of the water, and MDFR Ocean Rescue lifeguards immediately rendered assistance.”

Lt. Matt Sparling of the MDFR Ocean Rescue said that attacks such as the one that occurred on Sunday are rare at the beach and in Miami in general.

“Although these incidents are rare, we still ask beach-goers to always be aware of their surroundings. In my 20 years as a lifeguard, this is the first time a person has been bitten here at Haulover Beach, and possibly the first for Miami-Dade County,” Lt. Sparling told WPLG.

In 2016, there were a total of 81 unprovoked shark attacks across the world according to the International Shark Attack File of the University of Florida. This total was on par with the past ten year average despite 2015 having the most attacks on record with 98.

Florida is the shark attack capital of the world, with a total of 32 attacks in 2016 and 30 in 2015. In 2016, Australia was the second most likely place to get attacked by a shark.