What’s lurking at Florida beaches? Flesh-eating bacteria, and now 3 flesh-eating sharks
Taking a dip in Florida bodies of water is becoming scarier and scarier. From alligators to flesh eating diseases to poop to shark attacks, cooling off in the water can come with risks.
New Smyrna Beach is no stranger to danger in the water, and this past weekend it saw quite the occurrence: three shark attacks, two separated only by 30 minutes.
On Saturday, Emily Comfort, a 20-year-old surfer, was bitten on her left hand and wrist. She was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to Volusia County Beach Safety.
Thirty minutes later, Riley Petrovich, a 21-year-old surfer, was bitten by a shark in his right foot. He refused being taken to the hospital, Beach Safety said.
Not even 24 hours later, Peter Bourbeau, 51, was standing in knee-deep water when his right foot was bitten by a shark. He also refused a trip to the hospital.
Volusia County Ocean Rescue treated the wounds of all three victims.
While called the “shark bite capital of the world,” Volusia County only saw four unprovoked shark attacks in 2018. In 2017 there were nine. This year, the last attack was in the county was July 29.
New Smyrna wasn’t the only place that saw sharks this weekend. A man in Key Biscayne may have been bitten by a shark while possibly diving.
Sharks aren’t the only thing may turn you away from swimming the rest of the summer.
Florida has seen a recent uptick of cases involving Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating infection.
A 12-year-old girl underwent emergency surgery in late June after being diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis after she scraped her big toe on her family’s vacation to the beaches in Destin.
A Florida man, Tyler ‘TK’ King, took to social media claiming he was infected without even being in the water. He said he contracted it during a short paddle across a dune lake in Santa Rosa Beach. Pictures on Facebook show a large splotch of red skin from his elbow to his tricep.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Vibrio vulnificus causes about 80,000 illnesses but only 100 deaths per year. People most commonly contract the bacteria from eating undercooked shellfish.
A 77-year-old woman had also died during surgery after contracting the flesh-eating bacteria after being scratched while walking along Coquina Beach on Anna Maria Island.
If you are still thinking of swimming in Florida waters, wear water shoes to avoid scratches that make you susceptible to flesh-eating diseases. To be safe from sharks, swim in groups, don’t overly splash or horse around and keep aware of your surroundings.
This story was originally published August 6, 2019 at 2:50 PM with the headline "What’s lurking at Florida beaches? Flesh-eating bacteria, and now 3 flesh-eating sharks."
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