Shark Attacks Floridian Swimmer in ‘Mistaken Identity’ Case

A stock photo of a shark (Illustration - Shutterstock)

A Florida beachgoer was bitten by a shark, prompting a dramatic rescue on Thursday afternoon.

The swimmer was enjoying himself at the Grayton Beach State Park when the beast approached him and bit his upper body, the South Walton Fire District (SWFD) said on Twitter.

The shark in question is probably 7-8 feet in length.

A lifeguard on the scene rushed to the victim, who was hurt visibly in his upper body and chest. He was transported to a nearby hospital to be treated further.

The victim is expected to recover and is believed to be in a stable condition, the SWFD said.  He was apparently swimming near a fishing line 40 yards away from the shore

“The shark approached heading for the line and mistakenly bit the swimmer,” the SWFD stated.

As a beach safety alert, double red flags were flown for an hour after the incident.

Shark Attack Stats

According to National Geographic, about 93 percent of all shark attacks from the year 1580 to 2010 were on males.

“In 2010, North American Waters had 42% of all confirmed unprovoked attacks worldwide (32 attacks),” said the website, adding that surfers accounted for about 50 percent of the attacks.

Meanwhile, “Swimmers and Waders accounted for 38% of all attacks in 2010,” said National Geographic, adding: “Snorkelers and divers accounted for 8% of all attacks in 2010.”

About 3 percent of attacks were on people in inflatable rafts and inner tubes.

“Over the last half-century, there have been more unprovoked shark attacks in Florida (27 out of a total 139) between 2-3 pm than any other time of the day,” says National Geographic. “New Smyrna Beach in Florida is the shark attack capital of the world according to ISAF. It is estimated that anyone who has swam there has been within 10ft of a shark.”