Posted on 06/25/2005 2:19:19 PM PDT by 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.
Oh. I hadn't thought about the storms' affect on the sand.
There is a chance you will die in a car crash tomorrow. Do you stop driving?
This is really sad though.
And they'll claim to have proof that Bush gave orders to Rummy to make it happen.
ping
The most dangerous is a big fat old Democrat Senator driving near water.
I agree, very sad.
I failed to say "Prayers for the family"
They are, in fact, most likely to attack in shallow water. The splashing of swimmers is very attractive to them.
Only if they need to bury a lib-uh-rhul foible on page 27G, below the fold.
What's that?
as humans we are not superior.
In water perhaps, yet, on land we build stuff, all they do is eat stuff.
Willfully jumping out of a perfectly good airplane? Check!
Upping the ante with H.A.L.O. jumps? You betcha!
Para-sailing in Santa Barbara? Thought you knew!
Rappel from a chopper? Been there, done that!
Swimming out more than 50 feet from shore in the ocean? Fuhgedaboudit! I'm a strong guy and can swim swiftly, but Mr. Tooth E. Shark is stronger and faster than I am in the water.
A man must know his limitations, you know.
You are very very bad!
I can remember when we could go to the beaches and not see another person as far as one could see.
That's hermit crab territory.
Be careful.
a stingray won't kill you.
And man of wars aren't exactly common, unless you are in Australia.
Hello,
"huh ....Candy Gram...."
Glad to be here, MOgirl
More info...what a tragedy.
CNN) -- A 14-year-old girl died Saturday in a shark attack while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, authorities said.
The incident happened about 11:15 a.m. in front of a campground near the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, near Destin, Florida, according to the South Walton Fire District.
The girl lost a leg in the attack and died afterward, said John Fitch of the fire district.
At the time of the attack, the girl and a friend, also 14, were swimming and using "boogie boards" about 200 to 250 yards offshore, said Lt. Frank Owens of the Walton County Sheriff's office.
The friend saw the attack and her friend being dragged under, he said.
Beaches in southern Walton County were closed after the attack and will remain closed for at least the rest of the day, Owens told CNN.
Observers have not seen the shark since the incident, and it's believed to have left the area, he said.
Authorities do not know what kind of shark it was.
Fitch said the shark was about 11 feet long. Owens said he could not confirm that size, but noted that many species swim in the warm waters off the Florida coast.
Although shark sightings are not uncommon there, no one had seen a shark in the area Saturday before the attack occurred, Owens said.
This time of year, sharks are eating sting rays. Peoples feet look like sting rays. The young sharks hit the feet, start the blood and then you end up with a pack of young biting.
"the moment you step in the saltwater you are part of go further down the food chain.
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