Surfer Bitten by a Shark off Florida Coast

On December 11 a surfer was been bitten by a shark off of the coast of Florida.

Shane Garthwait was floating on his board Sunday off New Smyrna Beach, south of the Jetty, when he felt a tug on his dangling right foot.

The 19-year-old sustained a 1½ inch wound to the top of his foot, a half-inch cut to the back of the ankle as well as some bruising.

He was able to make it back to the beach, but declined medical treatment. He said his is a nurse and would treat the wound himself.

Garthwait reported seeing two sharks swimming in the area prior to being bitten.

There have been a total of 98 shark attack bites in 2016. Eight of which were fatal; 43 were reported in the US, with 31 occurring in Florida. Twenty-three have occurred in Australia, three of which were fatal.

All locations have been marked on the 2016 shark attack bites tracking map.

Related posts