A girl was seriously injured Thursday when she was attacked by a shark on a Florida beach, authorities said, continuing a frightening trend in the state that accounts for nearly 40 percent of unprovoked shark bites worldwide. Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett told CBS affiliate WCTV that the girl underwent surgery Thursday and is expected to survive. The attack took place in Keaton Beach in northwest Florida. The girl was in about 5 feet of water near Grassy Island, just off Keaton Beach, when the shark bit her, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. One of the girl’s family members reportedly jumped into the water and beat the shark until it broke free, officials said. The girl was taken to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare to be treated for those injuries, the sheriff’s office said. “It’s a tragedy, what happened,” Sheriff Padgett told WCTV. Officials said it has not been determined what type of shark attacked the girl, but witnesses described it as about nine feet long. “Boaters and swimmers are cautioned to be alert, vigilant and practice shark safety,” the sheriff’s office said. “Some rules to follow are: never swim alone, don’t enter the water near fishermen, avoid areas like sand dunes (where sharks like to congregate), don’t swim near large schools of fish, and avoid erratic movements while in water”. Shark attacks increased worldwide in 2021 after three consecutive years of decline, according to a report published in January. The US once again reported the most attacks, and Florida accounted for nearly 40% of unprovoked bites worldwide.
Florida has led the U.S. and the rest of the world in unprovoked shark bites for decades, and the trend continued in 2021, researchers said. Florida had 28 unprovoked bites last year, compared to 19 in the rest of the US and 26 outside the US overall. Florida’s 28 cases represented 60% of the US total and 38% of unprovoked bites worldwide.

Stephen Smith

Stephen Smith is a senior editor for CBSNews.com