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A fisherman in Queensland, another in Bimini, and an unidentified person in California are recovering from shark bites.
Rodney Forster was fishing Feb. 17 off the off the coast of Redcliffe, just north of Brisbane, in southeast Queensland when his boat’s propeller became entangled in a net.
As he jumped into the water to clear it, an estimated 10-foot (3m) tiger shark hit him. When he called for help, his fellow fishermen quickly pulled him from the water.
Forster said the shark smashed him into the keel of his boat, leaving him with several gashes on his left thigh.
At first, he laughed off the incident but, when he realized it could have been much worse, he came forward to warn others to be vigilant in the water.
Fisherman on shark dive boat bitten by shark
On Feb. 21, an unidentified 51-year-old fisherman on dive boat was off Bimini, Bahamas, when he was bitten on his arm by a shark.
Initial reports indicated the man was fishing when he hooked a shark and reached to secure it when he was bitten on his forearm.
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) was contacted and dispatched a helicopter. Rescuers arrived and collected the man before taking him to Florida for treatment.
Based on the USCG report, the vessel was the M/V Shear Water, which was part of Jim Abernathy’s Scuba Adventures. The vessel has been involved in several shark-related incidents.
In 2014, Dr. John Petty, 63, was diving with the group. According to a release from Abernethy’s Scuba Adventure, Dr. Petty became separated from the group around 6:30 p.m. Several pieces of Petty’s gear were later found.
His family released a statement indicating a shark attack was the cause of death. Abernathy’s crew, who located the gear, stated his gear buckles were unbuckled, leading to speculation he suffered a medical emergency and removed the gear himself.
In 2008, Markus Groh, 49, was diving during a baited shark dive with the group when a bull shark attack opened his calf. He was taken to the surface, given first aid and airlifted by the US Coast Guard to a Miami hospital where he was declared dead.
Shark bite in California
An unidentified person was bitten by a shark Feb. 26 off San Miguel Island. USCG dispatched a helicopter around 11:30 a.m. to pick up the watergoer and transferred the person to the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. No other details have been released.
UPDATE Female was scuba diving full interview HERE.
This year’s incidents have been added to the 2022 Shark Attack Map.
