A shark bit a surfer’s foot in St. Augustine, Florida April 12.
Kerry Keyton was enjoying the waves on St. Augustine Beach, just south of the St. Augustine pier when she went into the water.
“I was off my board in the water and I was trying to get back on my board and something just hit me. “ she told News4Jax.
The shark had grabbed the Palatka resident’s right foot (link to graphic image).
“It felt like my foot was just like, in a hole, which didn’t make sense,” she said.
She was able to climb back onto her board “I was kind of afraid it was going to come after me again, so I knew I just needed to paddle and get out of there, so I just started praying.” she added.
Link to graphic image of the wound.
Once she was back on the beach, she spotted another surfer and asked them to call a life guard. She said she never looked at her foot, as she was afraid she would panic seeing the wound.
Emergency personal from the St. Johns County Fire Rescue took Keyton to Flagler Hospital for treatment. She was released after receiving 28 stitches.
She said she has been surfing for around 12 to 13 years and in that time has only seen two sharks. Even though she is currently on crutches, she does plan on getting back in the water.
Florida has had a number of shark attack bites this month.
Caitlyn Taylor, 17, was bitten April 2 and had to fight a shark in a rare encounter on the second sand bar in the Panhandle. On April 3, Kody Stephens was bitten on the foot at Daytona Beach about 5 miles south of Ormond Beach. Melanie Lawson received a minor wound to her thigh April 4 after being bitten by a small hammerhead shark.
Two separate shark bite incidents occurred April 10 off Melbourne Beach. Heater Orr was bitten on the hand, and a 10-year-old girl was bitten on the calf.
Another unidentified surfer was bitten off Ormond Beach, Florida on April 11.
There have been a total of 27 shark attack bites in 2017, 2 of which were fatal*; 12 were reported in the US, all of which occurred in Florida. Six were reported in Australia, none of which was fatal. *One fatal incident may be a scavenge
All locations have been marked on the 2017 shark attack bites tracking map.
