A man is in recovery after being bitten by a shark off the coast of Key West, Florida, as reported by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department. The incident occurred while the victim was spearfishing along a reef, resulting in a bite to his leg on Monday afternoon.
Following the attack, the victim was promptly brought to shore and airlifted to a Miami hospital. Fortunately, he was alert and responsive upon arrival at the medical facility. However, his current condition remains uncertain as per the latest update from authorities.
Notably, there have been multiple shark attacks reported in Texas and Florida since the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Shark activity tends to peak in Florida waters between April and October, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Despite the heightened shark activity during certain months, the commission emphasizes that shark bites are still considered rare occurrences. In fact, statistics show that individuals are 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning in Florida than to be bitten by a shark.
Experts attribute the recent increase in shark bites to the rise in human visitors rather than a surge in shark populations or activity. While the risk of shark encounters remains minimal, Florida consistently leads the United States in the number of unprovoked shark bites annually, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s annual shark attack report.
