A 4-foot shark bites the foot of an adolescent boy in Palm Beach County, rescuers say
A small shark bit the foot of a boy Monday afternoon in Palm Beach County, according to authorities.
At 4 p.m., paramedics arrived at 3300 S. Ocean Blvd. in Highland Beach in response to a shark biting a swimmer, Delray Beach Fire Rescue Department tweeted. Soon after, they found an adolescent boy with a bite mark near the big toe of his right foot.
The boy told rescuers that he saw a small shark — about four feet long — dart towards him as he stood in shallow water. After biting him, the boy said the shark swam away.
The unidentified boy was bandaged on scene and taken to a hospital, according to the department.
The boy’s age and the type of shark is unknown.
Shark bites are rare
The chances of a shark biting a person are not as common as one would think, according to experts.
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File investigated 137 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide last year. Of those, 73 were classified as unprovoked shark bites and 39 as provoked.
READ MORE: A large hammerhead shark just washed up on Pompano Beach. What happened to it?
The United States recorded the most unprovoked shark bites, with 47 confirmed cases, the museum reported.
Leading all 50 states, Florida has topped global charts in the number of shark bites for decades, and this trend continued in 2021, according to the museum. Florida’s 28 cases represent 60% of the U.S. total and 38% of unprovoked bites worldwide.
READ MORE: Watch the moment ‘massive’ hammerhead shark circled paddleboarders off Florida beach
How to prevent shark bites
There are ways to help prevent sharks from biting humans, according to the museum. Recommendations include:
- Swim with a buddy
- Stay close to shore
- Don’t swim at dawn or dusk
- Don’t swim around schools of fish or where people are fishing
- Avoid wearing jewelry
- Avoid excess splashing
This story was originally published April 12, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
