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Subscribe to RSSWESH-TV's Todd Wilson reports on the shark attacks.
Two teens, including one who was pulled under twice, have shark survivor stories to tell after being bitten while surfing in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., on Wednesday.
"To me it was like a scene out of 'Jaws' where the girl's getting sucked under," Valey Levy said of watching her daughter being attacked as the two were surfing.
Sydney Levy, 15, went under, resurfaced and "got back on her board, and there was her ankle ... blood coming off of it," her mom told NBC affiliate WESH.com.
But then the shark grabbed her a second time.
"I said, 'There's no way this thing is going to kill my daughter,' and I grabbed her shoulders, and I pulled her up and threw her on the nose of my board," Levy said.
Helped by surfers nearby, the two paddled quickly back to shore where first-aid crews were helping Nick Romano, 17, who had been bitten just a short time earlier. It was not known if it was the same shark or not.
"He kind of spun up. His tail flipped up right in front of me," Romano told WESH.com, describing the shark's mouth as being about a foot wide. "My reaction was to shove him right away, and then he swam back down. I stood there and was like, 'I just got bit by a shark.'"
Romano got 17 stitches at the scene, while Sydney Levy was rushed to surgery but was released a few hours later.
WESH.com reported that both teens said they planned to go back into the water -- once they heal.
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So the mother and daughter were surfing together shortly after the first teen had already been bitten by a shark at the same beach?? I think I might have gotten out of the water after the first attack. Glad everybody is okay.
surfers, being thrill junkies are not know for great levels of common sense.
Shark one "You should have seen how big the one that got away was" (holding his fins as wide apart as he can).
Shark two "Your lying yours wasn't nearly as big as the one I had that got away"
Shark one "I guess the pink things learning curve isn't to good........you would think they would get out of the water after the first one got bitten".
I am constantly amazed by the callousness of the comments here. I guess it's a thrill to make fun of other people's misfortune? The ignorance is breathtaking.
I live here in Florida, swim in the ocean often and while this seems horrific, this (or more likely these) sharks were just sampling the potential prey. It's highly likely that the second pull on the victim was from a second shark, not the original. I would have liked to have read about the conditions at the scene: murky water, time of day, amount of bait in the water. It would have been a good idea to include the statistics on actual fatalities in the state from shark attacks as well.
You are far more likely to be killed by a coconut falling on your head, lightning or a hurricane- not to mention a car accident, overdose etc. Sharks are an endangered species, and we should not persecute them for accidental sampling of potential prey.
Shark attacks are exceedingly rare. Normally there almost no chance of two attacks taking place on the same beach in the same year, let alone the same day. I would have only two guesses as to why this instance occurred.
1- The first attack resulted in a significant amount of blood in the water, a neighboring school of sharks got the "scent" and went into a feeding frenzy.
2- Its very unlikely, but there have been cases of a shark getting a taste for humans. Normal sharks dislike the taste of humans, they usually mistake a person for a seal or some large injured fish and take a bite. Once they discover we aren't what they think they swim off for better prey.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Shore_shark_attacks_of_1916
They sample a foot, I get to sample a fin.
To sharks, we taste like chicken....or seal.
Not cool Cheetah
While shark attacks are "rare", New Smyrna is still the shark bite capital of the U.S. The Ponce Inlet area is known for good surfing and the sharks like to feed off the fish coming in from the Halifax river. It's a deadly combination.
I've swam in New Smyrna waters just for the thrill of "swimming with the sharks". As soon as you get onto a New Smyrna beach, there's signs warning you of "Dangerous Marine Life has been Spotted in this Area"
The one place to NOT go into the water when someone sees a shark is New Smyrna Beach FL. Get in the car and drive 5 miles north to South Daytona. The beaches are just as beautiful and the sharks are down at the Inlet.
Let's hope the sharks don't figure out what steak sauce is good for.
You are far more likely to be killed by a coconut falling on your head, lightning or a hurricane - spoken like a true moron Scot with one t.
Ask that girl and her mother how many times a f*kn coconut fell on their head - idiot!
Man those kids are really lucky!!
@candlewycke: Where else should they Surf?
Dos Locos- Please research the actual statics before making a assertion of actual knowledge. Please- really- take the time and Google whether you are more likely to be killed by "a coconut falling on your head, lightning or a hurricane" than a shark attack.
I await your apology. The assertion that that particular person had not been the victim of the aforementioned events is what is moronic. Obviously, my statement is one of averages, not what specific individuals experience.
Oh- and Dos Locos why hide behind a fictitious "handle" name. Go ahead and post your vitriol in your real name like I do, and go ahead and include your address.
Dos Locos,
Here- I did the work for you. You are twice as likely to die from a coconut hitting your head as from a shark killing you. The article also includes the ratios to dog bites, bicycle accidents etc. Still waiting for the redaction of your ridiculous attack.
Scot
some of these people aren't too smart on here. obviously when you are surfing and somebody gets bit on the same beach... it could have happened 1 or 2 miles away... even if they were within 500 yards of each other it is unlikely that they would have known someone had just been bitten unless life guards were on duty and came walking down the beach telling everyone out of the water with a bullhorn.
even if word was to travel down the beach, it would still take 10+ minutes to notify people further down the beach. and if you are out surfing you are farther out in the water than normal swimmers and the news would take longer to reach you. since the first bite victim was still being tended to i would say these other bite attacks were very close in time to the original.
some of the comments on here make me wonder if anybody thinks before the speak/act.
Ok Scott and any other Shark apologists out there. These animals look for "prey of oppurtunity". They are not concerned with shape, texture, or taste. They are not wine tasters or culinary experts. They eat what is available. Go do your research on the hundreds of stories of sailors lost at sea during WW2. Or maybe they were just making that up. That doesn't make them evil. But they are what they are. Just like Grizzley bears, Lions, Tigers, etc. Beautiful creatures, but basic genetic survival instincts.
The quoted research you refer to has always been skewed to give a happy "Animal Planet" PBS feel to our dear friend the shark. The reality is your "chances of getting attacked" data is based upon all humanity. Just like getting struck by lightening, killed in a tornado, dying in a plane crash data, etc. When the majority of a case study never are in harms way, then the numbers will always be skewed to reflect a low risk of incident.
The real point is less than 1% of humans alive today spend as much time in the water as do surfers, divers, etc. Do the research of a study group of just ocean enthusiasts that spend more than 50 days per year in the water(basically in the ocean about once per week, and come back and tell us what those numbers are for incidents of getting attacked among that study group. Until then it is just bogus numbers all watered down to make it look silly to be afraid of sharks. No shark is showing up at grandmas house in Denver, who has never seen the ocean except on her TV. If I stay in my home, in bed, under a blanket every day of my life, my chance of getting attacked by a shark is pretty low as your numbers reveal. But if I live in Kansas and stay in a Mobilehome during a thunderstorm, well that is another research project alltogether isn't it.
I vacation at New Smyrna Beach every year. Beautiful place,but I dont go in the ocean early in the morning or before dark.
Since Jaws I've had NO abiding urge to enter the ocean. I know what the odds are but, as said above, if I get hit on the head by a coconut and die there is no suffering. It's the terror of being eaten alive that trumps all other consideration. I won't jog or ride a bike in the California hills for the same reason, in cougar country you are NOT the top of the food chain, you ARE the food! :<(
Car accidents are a different story, you have some control over the situation when you practice defensive driving, and driving is a necessity, swimming in the ocean or jogging in cougar country is not.
OK, so I'm a wuss, I admit it! :<)
Scot
you're talking about frequency. Perhaps you are most likely to get killed by the other things. But you are far less likely to survive a shark attack than a drop on the head from a coconut or car accident.
Scot with one t,
The reason you are the moron is because you don't realize that statistics are flawed or better put, misinterpreted or misleading when they are reliant on situational factors. For instance if everyone on earth had to commute daily through a forest of palm tree's, this would be true, however the number of people who partake in activities which put them in a sharks natural habitat far exceeds the number that shake palm tree's for fun. The statement made by that naturalist a few years ago that said 150 people die per year by falling coconuts is backed by ZERO factual data or records. In fact it has been refuted with evidence from people that work in the medical field exotic locations that said they had never actually seen a "death" by falling coconut, just injuries. Shark lovers will always try and skew facts to support their own conclusions, and in this case you do people a disservice by giving them a false sense of security about swimming in the ocean, but in reality a person is just another potential prey item for a shark as soon as you enter their home and habitat. Through zero fault of the shark of course.
In summary it is clear to see the reason you have only one "t" in your name is because you have a learning disability and could never spell it right.
Scot and dos locos, LOL!!! Hey, I live here-----this happens all the time in the area. They are not Jaws sharks, for heaven's sake. They're referring to this bite as the "first bite of the year". No big deal.
rkb5555, depends on what kind and size of shark.
For most male surfers the scars from a shark attack are like the metal of honor
Most people attacked by sharks survive, it is VERY rare to die from a shark attack. The United States averages just 16 shark attacks each year and slightly less than one shark-attack fatality every two years. ONE IN 32 die.
The animal that kills the most humans in the US is the WHITE TAIL DEER. 150 people are killed by deer every year compared to .5 by sharks
Why does this always happen in New Smyrna Beach? I have seen this kind of story quite often about that area (I live in St. Augustine Beach, just a bit north of there).
I don't know if i'd call hitting a deer with your car and being killed when it comes through the windshield as being killed by a deer?
Perhaps a resturant in New Smyrna should put shark fin soup on the menu....
Zuksam, he means the carnivorous deer. You know the one's that gore you first with their antlers, then use their razor sharp teeth to cut your jugular.
phinephancy: Read post #1.8 by Harold of the rocks. Short explanation that says it all.
Oh, ninja deer. Yeah, we have those; they're pretty rude.
Thanks COmommy. I missed Harold's post. That was an excellent explanation. I know, on occasion we see a few sharks around here, but New Symrna has always been the "hot spot".
Dos Locos
A lot more people are killed by toasters than sharks
Inflatable sharks are responsible for more deaths in pools than real sharks.
I heard that Sharks with Coconuts using toasters with inflatables cause more deaths than moon rocks. Statistically speaking.
You're a damned shark apologist JQ! I'd like to see an inflatable shark cage match with a real shark. Then we'll see which is more dangerous. Tag team partners with the ninja deer, I don't care; real shark still wins.
Im thinking someone needs to talk to the M & M Mars company. The Sharks have obviously been watching the peanut butter squared commercials, and want to see if humans really taste that good. Someone needs to stop transmitting Satelite to NEMO's house.
Ok all kidding aside, as a former beach rat, 9th and p.c.h. HB CA, everyone who gets in the water, knows the risks. They ride the waves for the thrill, and excitement. Sharks are usually docile, but don't ever step near a crab or your just might lose a toe, or have 19 stitches to keep it on. Hope they get back in the water without fear next time.
dos, in reality, the girl didn't die and neither did the first surfer that got bit.
@Status-Unknown 1.20:
"In summary it is clear to see the reason you have only one "t" in your name is because you have a learning disability and could never spell it right."
Or maybe his parents named him Scot, with one "t," and that's his legal name?
That was my first thought, too. Someone had been bitten already that day, and they were in the water? How stupid. When you go into the water, that's the sharks' territory; they're not going to make exceptions for you because you're a human, they're going to act according to instinct and eat what looks tasty. Use some common sense, accept what can happen, and respect their space.
Marie, really? Look. We surf, swim, parasail, wade, fish.............these are shark bites, not killer shark attacks. We take these things in stride. Now, if you notice a Cat 5 storm heading in our direction you might want to give us a heads up.
Thank you Cowboy Dave. You are absolutely correct. My father, an editor for a major magazine surmized that is no such thing as a silent "T" in the English language and decided to name me "Scot".
Thanks for pointed that out to those that would make ignorant and uninformed comments on the boards.
Hey, Scot. See? Comment 1.20 collapsed by community. There's entirely too much collapsing going on here but that one can go, right?
Have a good weekend.
"I don't know if i'd call hitting a deer with your car and being killed when it comes through the windshield as being killed by a deer?"
The deadly ones don't stand in the road - they charge full-speed from the side like the car doesn't exist. I've managed to stop and had one try to climb over the car. They really are very stupid when it comes to mechanical things.
Someone just got bit by a shark so you decide to take your daughter surfing on that beach?
"Get out of the water! Get out of the water!" -----Sheriff Brody
and another thing about a shark. He’s got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a dolls eyes. When he comes at ya, he doesn’t seem to be livin’. Until he bites you. Then those black eyes roll over white. And then…well you hear that terrible high pitch screamin’. The ocean turns red, despite all the poundin and hollerin’ ….and all come in and rip you to peices
tgaelic...they didn't "decide" to go to the beach AFTER the first attack. They were surfing already. The other teen had "just been bitten".
Why can't people actually READ anymore?
Amen Eric!
I'll catch this bird, but it ain't gonna be easy. Bad fish! Not like
going down to the pond and chasing bluegills and tommycocks
Who said common sense was common? These two are certifiable dimwits if they were aware of the earlier attack. I am certain that both of the victims are not all there, as they both have stated that they are going back for more...
Who says they were aware of an earlier shark bite? As was stated on the news last night, these attacks happened within minutes of each other. So they are not certifiable dimwits.....and so what if they decide to go back in the water and surf again, at least they have the guts to face their fears by going back in and doing what they love instead of letting this ruin what is apparently a mother/daughter bonding time.
Actually the odds of being bitten are only very very slightly higher in the chance of a priorevent. As for the name calling and saying that the two attacked are dumb or dimwitted... that is is childish in the extreme and shows whom is actually the more dimwitted. You have obviously never surfed and never had an outdoor activity that makes you happy. Once you have ever experienced the ocean you understand that there are fish in it that can hurt and possibly kill you but the chance of it happening is very slim. So you enjoy what God has given you to enjoy calm in the knowledge that no matter what happens the moment in that water on that board is bliss. Of course one can live your life in a bubble safe and sound and never take any risks but guess what you will die there is no way around it your body will give out and you will cease to breath and you will have never LIVED!! The people of the USA that demand ultimate safety are the very reason we are so frightened of the rest of the world. Wake up, find some courage to live and make your life WORTH THE CHANCE !!!!
It's unfortunate, and people do take chances every day; most will swim, surf, dive in oceans their entire lives completely unscathed. Yet, similar to those that go in deep wildernesses such as Yellowstone do know they're taking chances.... wildlife is just that, and when shibit does hit the fan, I don't believe the animals should be hunted down for being where they're supposed to be.
Jaws was based upon attacks in upper New York many moons ago, in a river that was mostly fresh water, and to date has been deemed to be a bull shark which is known to be capable of living in both salt and fresh water as well as being aggressive for no other reason than to be so; many river burials in the ME have taught bulls to become more acclamated to human flesh.
Shake your fist at the oceans, at the sky, at the forests but sharks, lightening and mountain lions and bears will remain. Glad all made out well, sincerely.... but know your risks and not seek revenge, and as with weather be informed. Nothing will take care of all risk in life, buy to allow fear to limit your experience on Earth isn't living.
Wow- some of you intend to blame the victim on these boards? How very Republican. Take a moment to consider the likelihood of a mother and daughter walking past a bleeding victim of a shark attack into the surf. Really?! You think that is what happened?!
And you blame the victim?
You are so right Threenotch. When you enter the ocean you enter their world and all the risks associated with it. I'm 59 and started surfing when I was 14. I still surf and wouldn't trade those moments in the ocean for anything.
My guess is that everyone making jokes about stupid people, etc. have never seen the ocean. It amazes me how all you yokels from Nebraska, etc. spout off about things that you know nothing about.
Dave
Huntington Beach, Ca
amen scot,
NB820..."two certifiable dimwits", ummm, huh? There were two attacks total, you make it sound like there was three (an intial attack and THEN the dimwits got attacked). There were two attacks, that happened soon after eachother. The article CLEARLY states that she was brought to the beach where the other teen was being treated for his injuries that had been bitten "just a short time earlier".
So, not to follow your footsteps and bad mouth others, but who is actually deserving of the name DIMWIT here? The teens who were bitten, or the person who can't seem to read and comprehend a VERY short article?
When you play the politics card in a shark attack article, you lose all credibility.
Will you honor the board with Godwins Law next?
Not to mention, there is no such thing as a victim in a shark attack. People enter the ocean knowing full well that there are sharks in it. They may choose to remain ignorant about being attacked, but that in no way makes any of them victims.
If I was ever attacked by a shark and lived, I would fight to make sure that the shark isn't killed. I was in its domain after all.
NYMike- well said. I concur. The Republican thing was out of line but tangelical to the "you get raped- sorry- you have to have the baby" thing going on right now with the Republicans. Please accept my apologies- my comment wasn't appropriate for this particular story.
yea, kind of makes you a jack wagon. BTW, why didn't you respond to the earlier post by Bigeskimo. Made too much sense didn't it. Instead, you went into name calling. Right back at ya.
NYMike, knowing full well that there are criminals in the world, I guess by your definition that I'm not a victim if I get robbed at gunpoint outside of a mall because I knew robbers carrying guns are out there. A flawed excuse. I understand your point but a shark is an opportunist. Once it finds out there is a food supply in a certain area highly inhabited by people, it has to be killed. There I'm sure we disagree.
I'm pretty sure they knew about the previous shark attack. If something like that happens on a beach, everyone is aware.
Moderation, slight correction is in order here. Jaws was based on the attacks you mentioned but it was not New York. It was in Spring Lake, New Jersey. Just setting the record straight.
An unfortunate event. I'm glad to hear that both surfers survived.
You're just sick Sap! I just don't understand how someone can be so callous
lol
The audacity Sapienti has shown is atrocious! Repent! Repent!!!!!
It's a shark eat daughter kind of world these days.
Mother/daughter combination. Hmmmm.........
I am sure that made a big deal on the "shark news" by calling the fallow shark a "looser".
I love the ocean but hate being at the bottom of the food chain. it really bites...
She was just plain lucky and not very smart for getting in the water after the other surfer was attacked by a shark
Who stated that she got in AFTER the other attck? Nothing said that, and nothing mentioned a water evacuation. The other teen had just recently been bitten, which is why he was still on the beach being treated.
Even in our current instant information age, it's highly unlikely they had smart phones on them tweeting about the first attack.
will they need a bigger boat?
Where does it say the mother and daughter were aware another had been bitten? All of you hating on this girl calling her names because she was living her life and not staying indoors because she is scared of "something" is goingto get me syndrome....wow..guess what? You cannot protect yourself 24/7...sometimes s#it happens!
You beat me to it. If people are going to comment they need to think before they type.
^THIS.....if all you people are too afraid of sharks to go to the beach, fine, but don't bash these girls for wanting to go back.
That's never going to happen, Capted. Thinking first has never been a watchword on the boards.
There are several who are critical of the mother and daughter for going surfing after another surfer had been bitten. They have obviosly jumped to the conclusion that mom and daughter knew about the first attack even though the article did not provide that information.
Amazing how poor their reading comprehension skills are, aren't they?
You idiots. Where in the article did it say that the mother/daughter knew there was another biting? It did say 'short time earlier' which sounds like it meant minutes. Maybe they didn't have time to get back to shore yet.
They certainly got back to shore quickly after the double attack on the daughter, didn't they?
mother/daughter biting. hmmmmmmmmm..................................I could go for that said the male shark.
Beaches can be crowded and sadly, are usually under staffed. I live in Florida. A lot of our beaches have no lifeguards what so ever. I am willing to bet there was only one life guard on duty and he was too busy treating the injured surfer to reenact Jaws; "GET OUT OF THE WATERRRR".
"I'm pleased and happy to repeat the news that we have, in fact, caught and killed a large predator that supposedly injured some bathers. But, as you see, it's a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time."
I would much rather be a chicken on shore than play chicken with a shark.
You may have a better chance of survival playing chicken with a shark. The number of chickens on shore eaten every day is astounding.
Nothing like Lunch at the beach. Especially with a chicken sammich ; )
Do you realize how many chickens on shore get eaten each day? : )
New Smyna Beach is commonly known as serious shark territory and have a keen appetite for dumbazz tourists. Heed the warnings or be ready to pay the price for your stupidity.
Man, that is a stupid shark. Mistook 3 different surfers for something it actually wanted to eat.
Why is the shark stupid, it just wanted a taste of something different. I'm sure you've came across something you've tried for the first time just to see if you will like it. Alcohol taste like crap, but people will taste it for the first time every year.
Sharks are known for their sense of smell, not sight. From underneath, a surfer or boarder looks like a tasty seal.
To call a species that was designed to perfection to go relativity unchanged since the age of dinosaurs stupid, is quite ignorant. They have dominated the oceans since the beginning of time and you think they are stupid.
With all the sharks sited recently off the coast of Florida. Why would ANYONE swim or surf there. Just like off the coast of Australia. I just say "Consider yourself lucky"
I live here in Florida, and while this seems horrific, this (or more likely these) sharks were just sampling the potential prey. It's highly likely that the second pull on the victim was from a second shark, not the original. I would have liked to have read about the conditions at the scene: murky water, time of day, amount of bait in the water. It would have been a good idea to include the statistics on actual fatalities in the state from shark attacks as well.
You are far more likely to be killed by a coconut falling on your head, lightning or a hurricane- not to mention a car accident, overdose etc. Sharks are an endangered species, and we should not persecute them for accidental sampling of potential prey.
I did not read any comments blaming the sharks for being...sharks. It is the human behavior that is being ridiculed for taking foolish risks. Getting bit by a shark is rarely fatal, but almost always results in serious injury...
NB820...so now swimming is cause for being ridiculed and considered a foolish risk?
Eric
Its a foolish risk when swimming in the Ocean or Surfing...To the sharks humans are fair game...haha
Maybe it better to have a train Dolphin to be a body guard, would not cost as much...:P
Those attacks will continue while Disney Cruise ships are around. Those ships depart from Titusville, FL several times per day, for gambling. They throw food in the ocean and the sharks follow the ships like the crocodile from Peter Pan story. When the ships come back to Titusville, the sharks stay around looking for "lunch". Does this makes sense?
More people die every year from bee-stings or lightnings strikes than from shark incidents. More are killed by sitting under coconut trees and taking direct strikes.
Does this make me a shark lover? Does this make me a shark apologist? No. It's all a matter of public record. Anyone with a brain and an internet connection can look it up for themselves.
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/gattack/mapfl.htm
here are the stats for Florida attacks about 100 years.
Could have been a lot worse. I'm glad everyone is okay!
For those critisizing the surfers the story doesnt say that they knew someone was already bit. They may have paddled into the area after the first attack or for some other reason didnt know what was going on. no point in critisizing them if you don't know all the facts.
I grew up in that area and went to New Smyrna quite often. There are a lot of shark attacks, but the sharks there really aren't that big and fatalities are extremely rare. You'd NEVER catch me in Australin waters though with the big sharks. New Symrna ones will just take a toe or two ;)
In the ocean humans are NOT the top of the food chain, if you don't like that then stay on dry land, but stop puting down someone who gos in
Humans are also not on top of the food chain on land either. But we've manage to almost kill off all our predators on land and soon the ocean too. So no need to worry.
thepunisher...please provide a list of the predators that we have managed to "almost kill off". You know, for our educations sake.
Eric
Just look at the land we keep on destroying..These so called predators dont have a home anymore..So yes humans are destroying everything they touch..I got some clams from the South where the oil rig went boom..Would u like some? :P
Eric, are you really that ignorant? Look at the extermination of any other large carnivore: wolves, mountain lions, African lions, Asian tigers, bears... many are endangered. They used to roam entire continents and are being pushed into smaller and smaller areas.
thepunisher is right; soon there might be no sharks left. Maybe not in our lifetime, but it could happen in our children or grandchildren's time. Many species are endangered, and their numbers grow smaller every year do to practices like "shark fining" where sharks are caught, their fins are cut off, and they're left to bleed to death in the water. Such lack of respect for other living things...
"We're gonna need a bigger boat!!" - Jaws.....
Boat is the operative word here.
Unless you're in one, stay out of the &&**%%$$# ocean. That's the moral of this story for me.
I'm not a fish, and I don't want to be eaten like one. Thank God that mom was there to protect her child.
It disgusts me with the people callig them names. The article didn't any anything about the daughter/mother knowing about the attack. For all we know they could have been going to shore when the second attack happened. It's just good to know that both victims are going to be ok and that this incident didn't make them afraid to get back in the water.
You said mother/daughter...........fetish not disgusting, but what do I know.