14-Year-Old Girl Dies in Fla. Shark Attack

AP ^ | 6/25/05

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

A 14-year-old girl died Saturday after a shark attacked her while she and a companion were swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, authorities said.

The teenagers were swimming on boogie boards about 100 yards offshore when they noticed a dark shadow in the water, authorities said.

"One of the swimmers was bitten. It was the lower portions of her body," said Walton County Sheriff's spokeswoman Donna Shank. The other swimmer was not injured.

Both girls swam to shore, and the victim was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead, Shank said. The girl was on vacation from Louisiana, but her name was not immediately released.

The attack happened near the Camping on the Gulf Holiday Travel Park, about 45 miles east of Pensacola on the Florida Panhandle.

Patrick O'Neill, the campground's general manager, refused to comment.

Authorities closed about 20 miles of beaches to swimming shortly after the attack. It's the height of the summer tourism season along the coast and the beaches were packed with people.

"This doesn't happen very often at all — very, very seldom," said Mike McKee, front desk supervisor at the nearby Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort and Spa.

Florida had the largest number of documented shark attacks worldwide in 2003 with 30, according to statistics compiled by the American Elasmobranch Society and the Florida Museum of Natural History. There were 12 attacks off the coast of Florida last year.

[RavenATB]

"To the point where you'd like to sell but couldn't afford to replace what you have, probably."

Yep, I've been tempted to just take the profit and move to somewhere that's less expensive. But frankly, I've lived all over this country and I've yet to see a place I love like this one.

Most of the people are wonderful. It's a very family-friendly environment. People joke about the "red necks" down here, but most of the people are charming and very honest. Certainly, there are a few "slack-jaws," but not nearly so much as I've seen in other places.

Who knows, though...I've only lived here for a year and a half. My opinion could change.

[bwteim]

" Who knows, though...I've only lived here for a year and a half. My opinion could change"

The recent SCOTUS ruling could impact your home, too. /no sarcasm

[xzins]

LandShark

On other threads referred to as Scotus or Federal Judges.

[RavenATB]

My neighborhood happens to be the "priciest" of those not enjoying water frontage. I don't think I have anything to worry about.

If I were a poor man living in a large trailer court I'd be very, very nervous. Large chunks of "underused" land are getting local developers "sexually aroused."