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Jul 4, 2009 7:59 pm US/Eastern
Shark Bites 43-Year-Old Woman's Leg
HOMESTEAD (CBS4) ―
A 43-year-old woman enjoying a day at the sandbar in Biscayne National Park told Miami-Dade fire officials that all that changed when she felt something bump into her leg.
That something turned out to be a nurse shark and that bump eventually became a bite on her leg.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue tended to the shark attack victim at Homestead Bayfront Park Marina on the 9700 block of SW 328 Street at 3:45 p.m. Her injuries were not serious, but she was transported to a local hospital. The woman's name was not released.
Nurse sharks are common in South Florida and often navigate through shallow waters, but can reach depths of up to 200 feet.
Miami-Dade Fire offers the following tips to avoid shark bites:
• Avoid swimming in the evening or night when there is no lifeguard on duty. Sharks normally feed at this time.
• Avoid swimming alone.
• Sharks are attracted to bait fish. In Florida the bait fish typically have off white or yellow bellies and shiny scales.
• Avoid swimming when the ocean visibility is poor.
• Look for signs of bait fish. This is indicated by groups of small fish normally gathering together in a group. Bait fish can appear like a dark moving cloud in the water.
• Look for signs of large fish in the area (jumping, splashing, swirls or fins cutting through the water). This could indicate sharks, tarpon, or any other potentially dangerous predator.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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