The Delray Beach Fire Rescue released a public statement on April 11 alerting the public about a young boy who was bitten by a shark while standing in the shallow coastal waters of Palm Beach County.
The department said that the shark bite happened around four in the afternoon near 3300 S. Ocean Blvd. The adolescent boy told the fire department that he saw the shark dart toward him as he stood still and the water.
Rescue workers said that the shark bit the boy in his right foot close to his big toe before quickly retreating and swimming away.
Fortunately, the shark did not take any real chunks of flesh and simply just bit down and let go. However, the boy was obviously bleeding from the attack and paramedics bandaged his wound and then transported him to Bethesda Memorial Hospital.
See The Department’s Offical Post Below
DBFR responded to a shark bite at 4 p.m. at 3300 S. Ocean Blvd. An adolescent boy said he saw a small shark dart towards him as he stood in shallow water. It bit his right foot near his big toe before swimming away. Paramedics bandaged the wound and transported him to Bethesda. pic.twitter.com/fMWYZlh97K
— Delray Beach Fire Rescue (@DelrayBeachFire) April 11, 2022
Authorities said that shark attacks are not uncommon in shallow waters, however, unprovoked attacks are certainly rare. Nevertheless, in 2021, Florida accounted for nearly 40 percent of the reported shark attacks worldwide.
According to the International Shark Attack File, Florida saw 28 cases of shark attacks last year which accounted for 60 percent of the attacks in the U.S. and 38 percent worldwide.
Hawaii came in second in the U.S. with six attacks, followed by South Carolina (four), California (three), North Carolina (three), Georgia (two), and Maryland (one).