A news organization in the Sunshine State is reporting breaking news: A man has been bitten by a shark…IN THE FACE!
(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The unidentified man has been taken to the local hospital. The event happened earlier today while the man was surfing off New Smyrna Beach, on the east coast of the state.
Meanwhile, Florida officials say that the man was disengaged from his board while in a wave, and came face to face with the shark! Furthermore, the victim was bitten on the top right side of his cheek, between his ear and eye.
(Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, while the area of the attack is in relatively shallow waters, many residents are not surprised by this incident. One resident said he saw bull sharks swim right by him. Moreover, the unidentified man said the sharks seem oblivious to humans.
Currently, there is no word on the condition of the injured surfer.
This is the 17th shark attack in Florida this year. Meanwhile, overall there have been about 60 attacks in the United States in 2023. While these numbers do not jump out at you as a potential for alarm, they still do raise concerns about beach safety. Here in New Jersey, the warm weather may be winding down. However, in places like the Sunshine State, the water remains warm enough for sharks to linger close to shore all year.
Furthermore, New Smyrna Beach has long been known as the Shark Attack Capital. It is home to around 40 different types of sharks, though the most common types of sharks are blacktip and lemon sharks. Neither of these types of sharks are particularly aggressive. However, the sheer amount of sharks in the area makes incidents more likely.
Today’s shark attack was first reported by CBS Miami.
(Photo by COEX Aquarium via Getty Images)
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