Florida town closes beaches after two shark bites reported within minutes of each other
Several Florida beaches have been closed after two people were reportedly bitten by sharks within a few minutes of each other.
The City of Fernandina Beach announced the water would be off limits on Friday after officials responded to two reported attacks within the space of five minutes.
The first happened around 3.30pm on Friday. Fernandina Beach Fire Department personnel arrived at the scene within three minutes, where they quickly received reports of a bite at another, nearby beach.
Tia Walker, who witnessed the first incident, said she had been in the water for just five minutes when she heard another swimmer screaming.
“He yelled, he like went down and he started hopping and he looked over at me and goes 'I got bit, I got bit’,” Ms Walker told local news station WTLV.
Witness Mike Webb said the man barely made it onto the beach, where lifeguards immediately began wrapping and gauzing the bite. On the man’s left foot, Mr Webb said, “you could see the bone on the top and the bottom”.
Speaking from his hospital bed on Friday, the man, 30-year-old Dustin Theobald, said he had been surfing with his eight-year-old son when he spotted what he thought was a nurse shark. He kicked the shark to make it go away, which is when it clamped down.
"I’ve never been worried about them, never been scared of them, we’ve seen them out there when we’re surfing," Mr Theobald told News4Jax. "I think it was just the luck of the draw – being in murky water and just bad timing.”
Both Mr Theobold and the second victim, a 17-year-old, are in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. The teenager could not describe what type or size of animal had caused his injuries, the city said.
“The Division of Ocean Rescue is continuing to monitor beaches for any presence of dangerous marine life,” the city said in a statement on Friday. “Double-red flags are currently being flown at all guarded beaches, and water is closed to the public until further notice.”
The last reported shark bite in the area occurred less than a month ago, on 18 June, according to WTLV.
