uaru
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posted on July 9, 2001 04:41:26 AM new
This shark attack story would have been laughed at in movie as unbelievable. Can you imagine wrestling a 7 foot shark out of the water with your bare hands? The kid's uncle must have had some serious adrenaline flowing when the attack took place. Wrestling the shark to shore, shooting it, and removing the arm from the shark so it could be reattached? This is something I'd swear was an urban legend if I hadn't read the articles in the paper.
The boy's condition is front page headline news here, he's from the Biloxi area (Ocean Springs.) I hope the doctors get some help.
[ edited by uaru on Jul 9, 2001 04:43 AM ]
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krs
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posted on July 9, 2001 05:48:43 AM new
No big deal. It's an every day occurance out here; doesn't even make the news most times, certainly not with a puny 7 foot shark.
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deuce
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posted on July 9, 2001 05:55:02 AM new
Sharks in Alberta! 
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krs
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posted on July 9, 2001 05:59:36 AM new
(It's a smilie)
[ edited by krs on Jul 9, 2001 06:00 AM ]
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gravid
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posted on July 9, 2001 06:06:10 AM new
Friend of mine went with a van load of college kids to florida. One guy was real shy and hardly talked. On the beach they were going to have a fire and picnic. When they sighted a big shark in the shallows this kid dug in his bag and came out with a big double edged
dirk affectionatly known as an Arkansas toothpick, and ran out jumped on the poor shark and in a scene the kid I knew described as like a blender running - dipatched the shark and hauled it up to shore. He was intent on grilling some steaks off it. Totally freaked the other kids out who were scared to ride home with him.
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uaru
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posted on July 9, 2001 06:25:17 AM new
Florida is tops for swimmers encountering sharks, no question about that.
When I was a 16 we were out water skiing and came across either a bask or whale shark. One of the kids with us wanted to tie the ski rope to my spear gun and shoot it. The rest of us freaked out because we knew he was serious and he wasn't the brightest bulb on the tree. The shark was a damn site bigger than our boat. We wouldn't let the misadventure happen but I've often wondered what a 'Natucket sleigh ride' would have been like behind a whale shark.
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boyru
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posted on July 9, 2001 06:44:58 AM new
slow.
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SaraAW
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posted on July 9, 2001 06:50:42 AM new
boyru,
Your posting privileges have been Suspended. Creating multiple ID's for the sole purpose of Disruption is a violation of our Community Guidelines.
Sara
[email protected]
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jamesoblivion
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posted on July 9, 2001 07:46:38 AM new
Behold: the new shark smiley: 
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krs
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posted on July 9, 2001 08:35:07 AM new
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JMHO2
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posted on July 9, 2001 07:51:47 PM new
Shark attacks are really bad in the panhandle area of Florida. We were there last year and were warned not to go to certain areas (like Pensacola and Mexico Beach) to swim. We went to a fishing pier on the Atlantic the same vacation and there were sharks being pulled up every few minutes. That was another area we stayed away from. We used the motel pools mostly.
I used to live in south Florida, near Sanibel Island. We used to swim there all the time, but would leave well before sunset. There are alot of tourists who go in the water when the sun is going down to cool off and those are the ones that are attacked down there. I remember one dad who took his little daughter in the water and was just holding her in his arms, wading to his knees. A shark came up and grabbed her leg. When we would swim, we'd see lemon sharks and nurse sharks close to shore. Usually the lemon sharks won't bother you if you don't bother them that close in, but nurse sharks are nasty.
I hope that little guy makes it.
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pwolf
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posted on July 9, 2001 07:59:36 PM new
james and krs, you two crack me up!!!
I can't wait to see what you'll say next!
[ edited by pwolf on Jul 9, 2001 08:02 PM ]
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sulyn1950
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posted on July 9, 2001 09:54:18 PM new
I lost a friend about 10years ago due to a shark. She was on a night dive in Conzumel.
About 10 people were in the group. They had all gone down about 15 ft and stopped on a ledge to re-group before starting the dive. Each carried a light.
Suddenly, one of the lights was yanked down and out of sight within a few seconds. The divemasters quickly got everyone back up to the boat and took a head count. My friend was missing. The divemasters went back in, but found nothing.
Several days later, her partial remains were found on a beach. The official cause of death was listed as drowning. The wounds on the torso were consistant with those of a shark.
It made lots of headlines at the time because it was the 1st reported shark attack there since records had been kept. I believe it even slowed their tourist business down temporarily.
She was one of those extrodinary people. You know, the one's who never are just ordinary. She didn't live an ordinary life, she didn't die an ordinary death. Although it was a shock, I found myself thinking "leave it to Mary" and was feeling a bit guilty for allowing that to pop into my mind. Then, at her memorial one of the speakers said "leave it to Mary...." Oddly, it brought one of those "knowing" smiles to almost everyone who knew her really well. I really miss her.
That being said, I see where this young boy is in critical condition and has gone into kidney failure. I hope and pray he makes it and goes on to a full recovery.
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kraftdinner
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posted on July 9, 2001 10:06:30 PM new
pwolf - "james and krs, you two crack me up!!! I can't wait to see what you'll say next!"
They are only in their summer-relaxation-modes pwolf. Wait till they get geared up.....you'll need to wear a kidney belt to prevent splitting a seam!!
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ypayretail
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posted on July 10, 2001 12:33:10 AM new
The uncle wrestled the shark to shore but the fire department and rescue crew shot the shark and opened the mouth to retrieve the arm.
The boy get attacked - because he did all the wrong things: (Sadly his family was not aware of the high rate of attacks in the FL area or what not to do)
Sharks feed at dusk or dawn - he was swimming at 7pm - dusk.
He was in dark clothing - easily mistaken for a seal. Wear bright colors if swimming where there is a possibility of sharks.
He was horizontal cruising - easily mistaken for a shark. If in or near shark waters - keep vertical.
**********************
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gravid
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posted on July 10, 2001 01:42:41 AM new
We used to swim on the beach out on the outer banks near Moorehead City in NC and the surf fishermen would pull in shark all the time but we never heard of anyone being attacked.
The only time I was ever really afraid in the water was once I was waist deep in water in the keys and a whole school of barracuda parted and flowed around me like a dock piling. I don't think they recognized me as organic at all - just an obstacle in the water.
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sharkbaby
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posted on July 10, 2001 08:38:07 AM new
I, personally, love to swim with sharks and have done so many times. However, at these beaches that have certain guidelines to protect the innocent, there are reasons for the rules. It is so sad that this poor child has had to go through this. I really do wish him a full recovery. I also admire his uncle for the fortitude and adrenaline that helped him to do what he needed to do to save the boy. That was pretty amazing!
I'm also sad that the shark had to die, but I understand it too.
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ziLVy
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posted on July 10, 2001 09:15:51 AM new
Here's hoping the little guy survives in good shape. What a harrowing experience for him and his family.
With all that said, I would really like to get a look at the Uncle who wrestled this seven foot long shark to shore, where the arm was able to be retrieved. He must be some kind of guy.
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photogeyk
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posted on July 11, 2001 04:34:03 PM new
the really sad part is the area off the gulf island national seashore has huge posted signs SHARK SPAWNING AREA DO NOT SWIM,
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every 20 seconds in america a woman is giving birth:SHE MUST BE FOUND AND STOPPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.................................................................
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gravid
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posted on July 11, 2001 06:16:29 PM new
I was thinking about the Uncle grabbing the shark. When I have handled shark skin it is a very rough non-slip sort of surface. I wonder if that was not to the great detriment of the shark in this case. A big cat fish would probably be harder to get a grip on!
From what the news says the poor kid may yet be lost to the post trauma swelling of the brain. Sad.
Those are pretty beaches but I have never gone in the water there. A lot of the currents are tricky there also and I have had one episode of getting grabbed and hauled parallel to the beach faster than I could swim that I don't want to repeat.
[ edited by gravid on Jul 11, 2001 07:11 PM ]
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sharkbaby
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posted on July 11, 2001 07:27:03 PM new
When the skin is on the shark and he is in the water, it is very smooth and silky. At least in my experience when swimming with them. They feel much like dolphins do in that their tummies are super silky smooth and the rest of them feels smooth, just not AS smooth.
Wow, gravid, was that a rip-tide that you were referring to? Years ago when I got certified they used to tell us about those & they sounded quite frightening!
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gravid
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posted on July 11, 2001 07:58:14 PM new
I don't know what to call it but I had the experience of getting just beyond the breakers and watching the beach sliding by like I was on an expressway and it is not a good feeling to be swimming like crazy across it and you still end up a couple miles down the beach before you can get out of it. If you panicked and tired yourself out too quick it could be real fatal.
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sharkbaby
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posted on July 12, 2001 06:54:39 AM new
Yup, we would receive grave warnings about riptides! It can, indeed, be a fatal relationship.
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