Shark bite near Bean Point on Anna Maria Island sends man to hospital, officials say
A man was taken to a local hospital after being bitten by a shark Sunday afternoon, according to West Manatee Fire Rescue.
The man, who is in his early 20s, was bitten by a shark in the water north of Anna Maria Island’s Bean Point and was taken by Manatee County EMS to HCA Florida Blake Hospital, said Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski.
West Manatee Fire Rescue said a report of the shark attack came in around 3:40 p.m., but they were already at Kingfish Boat Ramp in Holmes Beach clearing the scene of an accident between a 50-foot yacht and a smaller boat. That’s when a boat carrying the shark attack victim, who had a tourniquet applied to the injury on his leg, arrived at the boat ramp.
The condition of the victim is not known at this time. The species of shark and the circumstances surrounding the attack are also unknown, Kwiatkowski told the Bradenton Herald Monday morning.
Sharks are commonly seen swimming in the northern waters off Bean Point. While Florida is a hot spot for sharks and regularly tops the globe in the number of shark attacks worldwide, shark attacks are still rare.
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File investigated 108 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide in 2022, confirming 57 unprovoked shark bites on humans and 32 provoked bites. This was lower than the recent five-year average of around 70 incidents annually.
Florida’s 16 cases in 2022 represented around 39% of the total and 28% of unprovoked bites worldwide, according to ISA’s website. But this was still lower than Florida’s most recent five-year annual average of 22 incidents.
This story was originally published July 31, 2023 at 11:12 AM.
