World
2 people attacked by sharks in 2 days at ‘Shark Bite Capital of the World,’ Florida
Sharks attack at South Padre Island, Texas beach leaves two injured
Authorities responded after receiving reports of a shark in the water off the coast of Texas that bit two people.
A Florida beach located in what’s known as the “Shark Bite Capital of the World” saw two shark attacks in two days during the holiday week.
Friday, a 26-year-old man visiting New Smyrna Beach on Florida’s east coast, was bitten on the foot while wading in an inner tube in approximately five-feet of water, according to Volusia County Beach Safety spokeswoman Tamra Malphurs.
The day prior, a 21-year-old playing football in knee-deep water at the same beach was also bitten on the foot. Both victims were taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
Shark attacks are rare and have occurred less frequently in recent years. But, more reports could be expected as the chances of an attack increase throughout the summer months when more people spend time in the ocean.
See the numbers: How common are shark attacks in the US? Take a close look at the latest data.
Shark attacks around the US so far this year
In addition to the attacks at New Smyrna Beach, two people were bitten by a shark at South Padre Island, a popular tourist destination on the Southeast Texas Coast, on the Fourth of July.
A man in his 40s on a boat offshore of Amelia Island in Northeast Florida suffered a severe shark bite to his forearm and was rescued and airlifted to a hospital for treatment in late June.
That same month, a 14-year-old was attacked in North Topsail Beach, North Carolina, and “Pirates of the Caribbean actor Tamayo Perry died after being fatally injured by a shark in Oahu, Hawaii.
On June 7 alone, four people were left injured. Three were injured in shark attacks on Florida’s northern Gulf coast. One 45-year-old woman was critically injured along the beach in Walton County, Florida. Two teenage girls were injured while in waist-deep water about 4 miles away from the first incident. Also, on June 7, a 25-year-old woman was bitten by a shark off Oahu.
Florida leads nation for shark attacks
There have been1,632 unprovoked shark bites in the U.S. since 1837, according to the International Shark Attack File report. The most attacks, 928, occurred in Florida. That’s largely because of the state’s 1,350-mile coastline, the largest in the contiguous U.S. The state has an abundance of shoreline prey for sharks and year-round tourists who enjoy Florida’s beaches.
Worldwide, there were 69 unprovoked shark bites on humans in 2023, and 36 of them were in the U.S. Two of the 36 were fatal: one in Hawaii, the other in California. Florida saw 16 shark attacks, more than any other state, just like in previous years, according to The International Shark Attack File report.
In 2023, there was an 12.2% decrease in shark bites compared with 2022.
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, Taylor Ardrey
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