FERNANDINA BEACH, FL – A man fishing off Florida’s northeast coast was bitten by a shark this weekend and is now on the mend, authorities said Sunday. This incident marks the third shark attack in the state’s waters within the last month.
The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit responded to a distress call Friday morning, discovering the victim in critical condition aboard a boat. The man was losing blood from a severe shark bite on his right forearm, according to a social media post from the sheriff’s office.
The attack took place in the Amelia River near Fernandina Beach, about 35 miles north of Jacksonville, after the victim caught the shark while fishing, said sheriff’s office public affairs officer Alicia Tarancon. Officers quickly applied a tourniquet before the victim was transported to shore and airlifted to a local hospital.
On Sunday, Tarancon reported that the victim remains alert and is still recovering in the hospital. This incident follows two other shark attacks in the Florida panhandle earlier this month, which resulted in three injuries and temporary beach closures in Walton County.
Beyond Florida, three additional shark attacks have been reported in the U.S. recently—one in Southern California and two in Hawaii, one of which was fatal. Stephen Kajiura, a Florida Atlantic University professor specializing in sharks, noted that the recent number of attacks is somewhat high but explained that more people in the water during summer months increases the likelihood of such incidents.
Kajiura also pointed out that small bait fish, which attract sharks, are swimming closer to the shore, and a resurgence in some shark species could be contributing to the increased activity. He emphasized that while shark activity peaks during warmer months and seasonal migrations, fatalities remain rare.
Florida leads the world in shark bites, with 16 unprovoked incidents reported last year, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. This accounted for 44% of the 36 unprovoked bites in the U.S. in 2023 and nearly a quarter of the global total. Kajiura advised swimmers to stay vigilant, avoid wearing flashy jewelry, swim in groups, and stay clear of schools of fish where sharks may be present.