Young Person Dies in Florida Shark Attack (moved from ATSNN), page 1

A 14-year-old girl was fatally wounded by a shark off the Gulf Coast of the panhandle of Florida today, near Destin in Walton County. No immediate details are available on the type of shark that bit the swimmer. Last year Florida led the world in shark attacks with 31 documented cases.

news.yahoo.com
SANDESTIN, Fla. - A young person was killed Saturday in a shark attack near a campground on the Gulf of Mexico, authorities said.

"We have had a confirmed shark attack. The scene is still under investigation," said Darlene Drury, spokeswoman for South Walton Fire-Rescue. Area beaches were closed to swimmers immediately afterward.

Details of the attack near Camping on the Gulf Holiday Travel Park in Walton County and the victim's name were not immediately released. Coast Guard spokesman Shawn McGivern in Mobile, Ala., said authorities were trying to track down the victim's relatives.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

According to television reports, this was a 14-year-old girl who was able to make it back to the beach but died of the wounds later in the hospital. In any case, it's sad and a scary reminder that when you enter the ocean, you're going into a wilderness area full of dangerous predatory animals.

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[edit on 6/25/2005 by djohnsto77]