EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. – A man who had been fishing from a boat inside Florida’s Everglades National Park was taken to a hospital on Friday after he was bitten in the hand by a shark, according to National Park Service officials.
In a statement, the NPS said the unidentified man was washing his hands in the waters of Florida Bay within the national park when the shark bite occurred.
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Park rangers and EMTs who treated the man said his injuries were consistent with a shark bite.
He was taken to Miami Dade Fire Rescue for further treatment and brought to a hospital.
“While shark bites are extremely uncommon in Everglades National Park, we always recommend visitors take caution around park wildlife,” the NPS said.
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The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy in Massachusetts says that there are a couple of things swimmers can do to try and avoid getting too close and personal with one of these sharks:
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And most importantly, listen to the lifeguards if they warn you to get out of the water. Lifeguards get alerts about sharks firsthand from researchers and are in charge of deciding if and what action to take if a shark could be nearby.