SHARK ATTACK Surfer had to fight off shark to rescue girl, punching the animal

A Florida surfer said he acted as ''bait'' to try to distract the shark while he wrestled the 14-year-old girl onto his surfboard: ''I've never been so scared in my life.'' The teen later died.

Off Miramar Beach on the Gulf Coast of Florida's Panhandle, longtime surfer Tim Dicus has seen the dark, lithe shadows dart beneath the water -- the glistening gray fins split the waves.

He was once even bumped by a shark, he said. But Saturday was different. Dicus tussled in the water with what experts say was most likely an 8-foot-long hungry bull shark hellbent on snatching a dying 14-year-old girl from the surface.

''The shark kept coming back around,'' said Dicus, 54, who punched the shark on its snout as it circled the girl in bloody water.

A day after the horrific attack near Destin, a still-shaken Dicus said he had a sleepless night. ''I've never been so scared in my life,'' he said. ``It was like the movie Jaws, except I was in it.''

Jamie Marie Daigle, of Gonzales, La. did not survive the attack by the shark as she was boogie boarding with her best friend about 250 yards offshore.

It was around 11:15 a.m., the beach full of tourists and locals. Dicus was surfing. He said he suddenly heard screaming and saw a girl swimming frantically to the shore. When he reached Jaime, she was bobbing face down. One of her legs had been cleaved to the bone from knee to thigh, he said. He saw the pool of blood in the water.

The shark made another snap at her hand, but missed because Dicus pulled it out of reach.

He hoisted the unconscious girl onto his surfboard. All the while, the shark continued to try to get to her, Dicas said. He circled the surfboard. Dicas said he struck the shark hard with his fist once. It did little to discourage the animal.

Dicas finally towed her to a sandbar where two other men were ready with another board and a raft to paddle the girl back to shore.

Using himself as live bait, Dicus said, ``I swam away from them and started slapping the water and kicking to distract the shark.''

Once ashore, paramedics tried to revive the teen, but she had likely lost too much blood.

George Burgess, a researcher at the University of Florida, who investigates shark attacks worldwide, was at the scene and called the attack ''unusual'' for Florida water, mainly because of the shark's aggression.

''This was not a normal Florida attack,'' Burgess said. ''Usually a shark will make a mistake, thinking it's a fish,'' Burgess said. ``In this instance, the shark apparently very knowingly went after a large prey item and persistently tried to follow through on its normal feeding behavior, which would be to come back and attack again and again.''

On Sunday, a bloody spot in the sand marked where paramedics worked on Jamie, who had come to the vacation spot with her best friends' parents.

Back in her hometown of Gonzales, a suburb of Baton Rouge, parishioners of St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church mourned the teen's death, calling her ''very beautiful and popular.'' Pastor Gary Belsome, who is also a friend of the Daigle family, said they were dealing with the grief as best as they could.

''At all of the masses yesterday and today, we informed the community about the death and asked them for prayers,'' Belsome said.

Jaime, an accomplished student who was a day camp counselor at the church, was preparing to start high school in August at the prestigious St. Joseph's Academy, an all-girl Catholic school in Baton Rouge.

Last week, she finished a computer prep course with her best friend, who was also admitted to St. Joseph's in the fall.

Jaime had gone with her friend's family on an RV trip to Florida for the weekend. The girls had likely known each other since kindergarten, Belsome said.

Belsome, who spent time with the family Sunday, said that despite the tragedy, the family took solace in that she died while having fun with a good friend.

The Walton County coroner's office will conduct an autopsy today to officially determine the size and species of the shark involved Saturday, believed to be a bull shark.

On Sunday, the 20-mile stretch of beach that officials had closed after the attack had been opened.

''It was business as usual, or almost as usual,'' said Capt. Danny Glidewell, who said the incident was the first of its kind in Walton County.

He said there had been no sightings by midday Sunday. His department had doubled the number of life guards on patrol. A boat was out scanning the water for the predatory fish. Helicopters were also deployed to scour the waters for sharks. Dicus said he had gotten a phone call from Jamie's father thanking him for going out to get her.

``They said they wouldn't have been able to have a normal funeral, if I hadn't gone out there. The shark would have taken her under for good.''

Now--this has been all over the news. How much more 'education' do people need? There are SHARKS THAT WILL EAT YOU in the waters off the coast of Florida RIGHT NOW. Gulf and Atlantic coasts! Splash in the surf- DO NOT GO SWIMMING! I mean-OY! Would anyone jump into a river where alligators were killing people? What is this? Play the odds in the ocean time? ANYONE, and I mean ANYONE who is attacked by a shark AFTER these stories have been everywhere, dies because of STUPIDITY. Never has been a shark attack in the hotel pools. Swim there.

You cannot be serious. You think sharks and shark attacks are something new? They've always been there. It's their home. You're more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a shark. Telling people they're stupid if they get in the ocean because they might get bitten by a shark is like telling people they're stupid if they go outside because they might get toasted by a random bolt of lightning.

To: joesnuffy

They seem to have found an appetite for human flesh...time to kill them all

I know you must be kidding. I'm SURE you were kidding.

The girl's death is tragic. She was beautiful. My heart and prayers are with her family.

You don't know me, but I heard and read about the story in the news and on-line. It really breaks my heart to see something like this happen to such a beautiful young lady. I wish you could take back time, but you can't. She looks like a very smart, intelligent, outgoing and fun person to be around. She is absolutely gorgeous girl! Just remember all the wonderful memories you have built with her. She's in a very special place in heaven.

All I know if I was her parents I would have shot the shark myself. If he killed my daughter then he deserves to be killed too. I think they should start killing the sharks so less people are hurt by them. They are coming into public beaches where small children and teenagers and adults are. You never know when thier going to snap at you because their so quick and they can kill you in just seconds. I wish She never passed it really hurts my heart, but this should be a lesson to everyone: Be extra careful now that you know there are sharks swarming in the warm water where the public beaches etc are. Don't let your children go out into the water, because they may never come back! You need to be on the look out and extra aware of your surroundings. Use your brain and think of safety so someone is not hurt or killed. So it may not be your loved one who's out there in the sharks mouth. Just warn yourself, your children, teens, adults etc.

... this might be really old... but i am just seeing it and i find it very selfish to be making a joke when the subject is a girl in my class at my school being attacked by a shark.
have a little respect.

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