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Kite Surfer Dies in Florida Shark Attack

Posted 24 months ago|11 comments|3,079 views
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Chris D
Seattle, WA
There’s something primeval and visceral about sharks attacks. Whenever there are headlines about some surfer getting pulled under the water in Australia or California, people avoid their local beach. We know it's irrational, but why take the chance.

Think about the first time you watched “Jaws.” Who didn’t jump out of their seat when they saw their first movie shark attack? In Stuart, Florida, a man died yesterday after being chomped to death by a pack of hungry sharks. The video on the left is probably similar to what happened to the shark attack victim – except that he wasn’t wearing a tuxedo.

Scientists believe that juvenile great white sharks attacked the man, a kite surfer. In Stuart, Florida, shark attacks are not uncommon, but fatalities related to shark bites are quite rare. It’s the first shark-related death in Stuart, Florida in the last 25 years, according to a local lifeguard. But people are probably going to avoid those waves for a while.

Sharks are fascinating -- and good for ratings. Discovery Channel does a special “Shark Week,” where every TV show focuses on fins, gills, and shark attacks. Those shows probably contribute to people's fear. But realistically, your odds of being attacked by a shark are about 11 million to one. Still, it’s not a bad idea to leave the “seal pup” print swimsuit at home when you go to the beach.


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COMMENTS
Alex Layton
Alex Layton
 Administrator
Puyallup, WA
24 months ago: I try to live every week like it's Shark Week.
THE RONBOT HUNTER
THE RONBOT HUNTER
24 months ago: If we all demanded to eat "shark fin soup" in all our restaurants, we would have a reduction in shark attacks.

Leave the whales alone and drink the SHARK FIN soup and save people at the same time.

Plus shark skin shoes are a great thing to wear.

Demand will create the market.

Just let me know where it is served and I will buy a gallon of soup.

THE RONBOT HUNTER
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
everthecynic
everthecynic
24 months ago: I've never had shark fin soup. I vaguely remember it having some healthful qualities to it according to ancient far east medical methods.
24 months ago: You "shark fin soup" people are idiots!!! Sharks have been here since the day the earth cooled! They are an important part of the earths ecosystem!! Millions of years of perfect evolution. Be greatful that Megalodon still doesnt cruise our oceans. It's simple, if your affraid of whats in the water or being attacked, KEEP YOUR **** OUT OF THE OCEAN! It's not a swimming pool!! You have greater chances of being hit by a bus than being attacked by a shark, and quite frankly, some of you morons deserve to be hit by a bus! And the "far east" will consume anything that swims, flys, crawls, walks, or breaths claiming it has "healthful qualities". If they ate feces saying it was benificial for you, would you eat it? Damn retards!!
everthecynic
everthecynic
24 months ago: You must have been absent the day we covered the chapter on respecting the opinions of other people.
24 months ago: I'm sorry, were these opinions? Look more like uneducated rants to me:)
THE RONBOT HUNTER
THE RONBOT HUNTER
24 months ago: RACRX:

We Are TryING tO Act like civil people Here. Sharks are eating people and so are alligators, and many other wild animals.

Should we stay of our back yards when they come to grap our dogs and cats and small children?

Should we never go to the park to avoid other wild animals.

The ocean belongs to mankind too. He has a right to be there. When the wild animal wants to eat us, are you then happy? Or do you want us to lie down and be eaten.

There are millions of alligators in Florida. They are being too protected by people as you. Pro-killer and anti-humans.

There comes a time in any society that has to cull the herb, so that they can all survive.

We need less alligators eating out kids.

THE RONBOT HUNTER
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Altruist
Altruist
Eugene, OR
24 months ago: While Racrx may need to tone down his comments a bit he is correct that we are screwing up the oceans by killing off all of the large predators like the large sharks. Some species of hamerheads have declined by 97% and 99%! As a result smaller predetors they used to control are multiplying and their food supplies like all of the scallops are disappearing. Every time we mess with the balance of nature bad things happen.
See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/mar/30/biodiversity.fishing
Perhaps the sharks have decided that we are the ones that are needing our vast herds culled.
everthecynic
everthecynic
24 months ago: I don't advocate killing off all the alpha predators on this planet lest they do away with us. We as a species seem to be doing a fairly efficient job all on our own.
24 months ago: A) this sight is called rant and rave. That is what I am doing..ranting about your misguided solution to reducing shark attacks by wanting to eat useless shark fin soup!! First of all, the "fining" of sharks is banned in most "civilized" countries. Thousands of sharks, if not more, are caught, have their fins cut off and dumped back in the ocean alive where they die. A complete waste of magnificent creature of the sea all in the name of a bowl of soup?? Are you serious?? What next when the Asians wipe out the shark population? Turn to fining Dolphins? Oh wait, I forgot, The Japanese eat Dolphins!!! Sharks were in the oceans before we even stood upright to walk the earth. So if anything, we are intruding in their territory!! Listen, I'm no tree huggin hippy out to save the world. All I'm saying is I know what lives in the ocean and have educated myself enough on the subject to enter the ocean with caution. There are certain times of the day you don't swim in the ocean, and in FLA certain times of the year you use extra caution because of the gathering of sharks for their migratory run up the coast.

B) this rant has nothing to do with alligators. If an alligator threatens you or your family, of course you have the right to protect your self.

C) more people are bitten each year by domesticated canines and felines than by sharks. So what, eradicate the pet population?

Whether people like them or not, sharks serve a purpose in the ocean, and that purpose is not to provide us with some lame soup that an Asian said is good for you. I enjoy the ocean very much knowing what lies beneath its waves, but I exercise caution in doing so. It's unfortunate that the man lost his life doing what he enjoyed, but I'm pretty sure he knew the risks involved in doing it.

And finally, if you are indeed trying to act civil, think before you speak about wanting the world to demand shark fin soup in restaurants!! Fining of sharks is not a civil act, it's barbaric!!!
THE RONBOT HUNTER
THE RONBOT HUNTER
24 months ago: RACRX

Fining of sharks is not a civil act, it's barbaric!!!

Tell that to the people of the world, where crocodiles walk out of the ocean to grab a child on the beach, and drag it back into the ocean.

Or the inability to swim in the rivers of Florida without losing a leg.

Animal control is already killing millions of dogs and cats, by your consent.

The life of a person is MORE valuable than the shark or alligator or crocodile in my book.

Culling the areas where the death of a child is not barbaric, but pro-human.

I am pro-human rights and pro-animal rights.

But these are killers, and they need to be controlled.

OR DO YOU JUST WANT TO GIVE THEM A TICKET FOR EATING A CHILD?

THE RONBOT HUNTER
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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