A teenage girl was seriously injured in a shark attack on a Florida beach Thursday, authorities said.
The attack took place in Keaton Beach in Taylor County in northwest Florida. The unidentified girl was paddling in water about 5 feet deep near Grassy Island, just off Keaton Beach, when she was bitten by a shark, according to the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office.
“A family member reportedly jumped into the water and fought the shark until the juvenile broke free,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The girl suffered “serious injuries” and had to be airlifted to a hospital in Tallahassee, about 80 miles northwest of Keaton Beach, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office said the type of shark that attacked was unclear, but was described as approximately 9 feet long.
“Swimmers and combers are advised to be alert, vigilant and practice shark safety,” the sheriff’s office added. “Some rules to follow are: never swim alone, do not enter the water near fishermen, avoid areas such as sandbars (where sharks like to congregate), do not swim near large schools of fish and avoid chaotic movements, while in the water. “
Shark attacks increased globally in 2021 after three consecutive years of decline, although significantly low numbers from the previous year were due to lockdowns and restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an annual study by the International File on Florida Museum of Natural History shark attacks.
Florida has topped the world charts for shark bites for decades, and the trend will continue in 2021, researchers said. Of the 73 unprovoked incidents reported worldwide last year, 28 were in Florida, accounting for 60% of the total number of cases in the United States and 38% of cases worldwide. That number is in line with the last five-year average of 25 shark attacks in Florida, according to researchers.
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