TAYLOR COUNTY, Fla. – A teen was hospitalized with serious injuries after a 9-foot shark attacked them at Keaton Beach Thursday, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Deputies said the juvenile was scalloping near Grassy Island in water around five feet deep when they were attacked and bitten by a shark.
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According to investigators, a family member jumped in the water “and beat the shark until the juvenile was free.”
The child was then transported to a Tallahassee hospital with “serious injuries,” the sheriff’s office said.
The type of shark is unknown, though deputies said it’s believed to be around 9 feet long.
According to a post made by Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, the teen will have surgery on Tuesday to amputate her leg just above her right knee.
Deputies urged swimmers and scallopers to be vigilant in the water and practice shark safety.
Some shark safety rules the sheriff’s office said to follow include:
- Never swim alone
- Do not enter the water near a fisherman
- Avoid areas like sandbars, where sharks tend to congregate
- Do not swim near large schools of fish
- Avoid erratic movements in the water
No other information on Thursday’s shark attack is available at this time. Check back here for updates.
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