Bradenton woman sues Miami Marlins for 'shark' attack

MIAMI -- Miami Marlins fans are all too familiar with the Great Sea Race. At the sixth-inning break of every home game, fans can expect to see the four foam-rubber costumes of Bob the Shark, Spike the Sea Dragon, Julio the Octopus and Angel the Stone Crab sprinting around the baseball field.

Beth Fedornak from Bradenton, who visited Marlins Park two years ago, said she did not expect to become the victim of a shark attack.

Now she has filed a lawsuit against the team.

Fedornak went to the ballpark June 29, 2013, to see the San Diego Padres play the Marlins. According to the lawsuit, Bob the Shark approached and pretended to bite her head to excite the crowd of spectators.

She immediately felt pain in her neck "after the impact of the shark head down on top of her skull," according to court documents filed June 12 by her attorneys from the firm Carl Reynolds Law.

The results of the encounter with the mascot have allegedly caused Fedornak permanent or continuing injuries to her neck and back, cost her more than $86,000 in medical expenses and impaired her ability to work, according to court documents.

Reached by phone Friday, Fedornak declined to comment. The attorneys at Carl Reynolds Law firm could not be reached Friday, a federal holiday.