Swimmer wading in waist-deep water rushed to hospital in shark capital of the world marking sixth attack
A MAN was rushed to the hospital on Monday in an apparent shark attack in Daytona Beach, Florida, marking the sixth attack of the year in the area, officials say.
The victim, 33, was wading in water that was only waist deep at around 3pm when he was bitten on his right foot by what police believe was a , according to Deputy Chief Tamra Malphurs.
The man’s injuries were not life-threatening, and he has not been identified by authorities.
This marks the sixth for Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue.
The beach is near New Smyrna Beach, , which took the title of the Shark Capital of the World after a string of terrifying encounters with dangerous predators in recent years.
However, this year the bites could be below average, the University of Florida's Program for Shark Research director Gavin Naylor,
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"Somebody gets bitten on the ankle by a shark, and it might be that there’s not another bite in three weeks or it could be there’s one the next day," he told the station.
Last year, the county saw 21 bites, and it averages ten per year.
According to the , Volusia County has an annual average of nine unprovoked shark attacks per year.
Of the 73 unprovoked shark bites in the United States in 2021, 64 percent – or 47 bites – took place near U.S. shores.
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Of Florida’s 28 unprovoked shark bites, 63 percent — or 17 bites were in Volusia County.
The odds of getting bit in the United States are 1 in 4,332,817, according to ISAF.
In fact, it’s more likely to die from lighting, a train crash, or fireworks
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"You're probably 200 times more likely to drown in the ocean than you are to get bitten by a shark," told NPR.
"And I think that people aren't that worried about drowning."