Sam Smathers 4th

“2 men bitten by sharks off the Florida coast”

By Sam Smathers (4th)

     CNN News reports that on Sunday afternoon off New Smyrna Beach two men received non-fatal shark bites while in knee-deep water. The report states that, “one of the victims was in his 20s, while the other was in his mid-40s”. The amount of shark bites has fluctuated in the past years, but only 2% of people that get shark bites in the United States die from the bite. The last person to die from a shark bite was in 2009. The report also says that, “more attacks take place off the Florida coast than in all of the other states combined.”
     This report left me wanting more information. I would of liked to of heard from the people that received shark bites and what it was like. Because it is highly doubtful that a shark will bite me in the near future I would of liked to be able to live vicariously through these people and their experience. The statistics were a great addition to the article, but some facts left me with questions such as: why do so many people get shark bites in Florida? In conclusion, even though being bit by a shark is an extremely painful and traumatizing experience, I think that there is a bright side to it. Being able to say that you have been bitten by a shark and survived, makes you as cool as strawberry pop tarts or Penicillin.

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/08/us/florida-shark-bites/index.html