Beach-Goers Are More Likely To Die In Car Crash On Way To Beach Than By Shark Bite: Oceana

SOUTH FLORIDA — It may not be officially Shark Week, but you'd never know it by the shark activity reported during the past week in Florida waters. Despite the close encounters of humans and sharks, a group that tracks sharks says they pose less risk to people than car crashes.

On Friday around 8 p.m., the Monroe County Sheriff's Office reported that a 35-year-old man was fishing off a dock in Summerland Key, an island in the Florida Keys, when a shark bit him on the foot.

The shark had already been hooked and was laying on the dock, struggling for its final breaths, when it decided to take its revenge on the angler.

The man was flown to Jackson South Medical Center in Miami via Trauma Star shortly after getting bitten. There was no word on the fate of the shark.

Note to anglers: Make sure you secure sharks after you catch them.

Additionally, the Monroe sheriff's office reported that a 20-year-old man was bitten on the leg by a shark Thursday afternoon in Marathon, also in the Keys.

The man was in the water around 3 p.m., spearfishing with two other people, when a bull shark decided to be proactive and spear him first, using its teeth.

Kevin Blanco said he was bitten twice by the shark. He was taken ashore by boat to the Sunset Grille & Raw Bar, officials said. A helicopter then landed on the Seven-Mile Bridge and flew him to South Medical Center in Miami.

Note to anglers: Sharks don't like getting speared.

As residents and visitors plan trips to the beach this Memorial Day Weekend, here are some interesting facts to keep in mind:

Volusia County has the dubious distinction of being the "Shark Bite Capital of the World," according to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum.

From 2012 to 2021, Volusia County reported 94 shark bites, none of which were fatal. Last year was a record shark attack year for the county, with 17 bites reported. Since 1882, Volusia County has had a total of 343 shark bites reported.

The county with the second-most shark bites since 1882 is Brevard with 156 shark bites.

Before these crucial marine creatures are unfairly maligned, the Florida Museum said beach-goers need to put the statistics into perspective:

• Residents have a much greater chance of being killed in a car crash on their way to the beach.
• Bees, wasps and snakes are responsible for far more fatalities each year.
• In the United States, deaths occur up to 30 more times from lighting strikes per year than from shark attacks per year.
• From a statistical standpoint, the chances of dying of drowning or cardiac arrest are markedly higher than from a shark attack.

According to the nonprofit Oceana Florida of Jacksonville, which tags and tracks shark movements along the East Coast and Florida Gulf, sharks are not only vital to the health of the marine ecosystem but play an important role in Florida's economy.

In one year, divers spent more than $221 million on shark encounters in Florida, supporting more than 3,700 jobs.