Community Corner
Relative Beats Shark To Free Girl Bitten While Scalloping In FL
A relative beat a shark to free a child who was bitten while scalloping in shallow Florida waters, authorities say.
PERRY, FL — A girl was seriously hurt in a shark attack in northern Florida, and authorities said relatives had to beat the 9-foot-long shark to free her.
The girl was scalloping in 5-feet of water near Grassy Island off Keaton Beach on Thursday when the shark attacked. A family member jumped in the water and beat the shark to free the child, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Offices said in a news release.
Deputies with were sent to Keaton Beach, near Perry, along with fire and rescue and ambulance medics to provide emergency assistance.
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The child was flown to a Tallahassee hospital with serious injuries.
"It looks like she's going to lose her leg, is what we've been learning," Sheriff Wayne Padgett told WCTV.
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Authorities warned swimmers and scallopers to remain alert, vigilant, and practice shark safety. Don't swim alone, don't enter the water near fishermen, avoid sandbars — where sharks like to congregate — avoid swimming near large schools of fish, and avoid erratic movements while in the water.
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