A minor who bathed on a beach in Taylor County, in northwestern Florida (USA), had to be hospitalized with serious injuries after being bitten by a shark, local media reported.
The minor was jumping into water 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep on Grassy Island when she was attacked. by a shark about nine feet (2.74 meters) long, picked up the local channel WTXL.
The authorities have not yet been able to determine what type of shark it was that attacked the girl, who had to be rushed by plane to a hospital.
Apparently, a family member jumped into the water and started hitting the shark until the animal released the minor.
The International File of Shark Attacks (ISAF), an entity of the University of Florida that is considered the highest world authority on the subject, published its annual report last January, which states that nine people lost their lives in 2021 due to shark bites "unprovoked".
ISAF investigated 137 suspected human-shark interactions recorded worldwide in 2021 and confirmed 73 unprovoked and 39 provoked shark bites on humans.
The report shows that the risk of a person being bitten by a shark is "extremely low"although the chances increase if someone practices surfing or another board sport.
