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Florida Shark Patrols Beefed Up After 2nd Attack

POSTED: Monday, June 27, 2005
UPDATED: 5:48 pm EDT June 27, 2005

Following a second shark attack off the Florida Panhandle in three days, extra patrols have been added to look out for sharks along the Gulf Coast.

Jamie Marie Daigle
Jamie Marie Daigle



Authorities have beefed up beach, air and water patrols, with 10 off-duty deputies called in to bolster the monitoring teams.

A shark expert -- Erich Ritter of the Shark Attack Institute -- said bite marks indicate 14-year-old Jamie Marie Daigle was likely killed in an attack Saturday by a 6-foot-long bull shark. Daigle, of Gonzales, La., was swimming on a boogie board with her friend, Felicia Venable, at least 100 yards from shore in the Gulf of Mexico when the shark bit her in the leg.

One of the rescuers said he heard screams for help and saw Daigle's boogie board -- but no rider. He rushed into the water and found the unconscious girl being towed by a surfer on his board.

With help from other swimmers, they brought Daigle to shore in a raft with the shark underfoot. Venable swam to shore.

The surfer who brought the unconscious girl to shore said she had been swimming far out in an area unprotected by sandbars or lifeguards. He said he saw a shark fin, but didn't think much of it because that was a fairly common sight when surfing. Then, he heard the girl scream and went to help her. He said the shark was aggressive and that it was like being locked in a yard with a vicious dog.

He said when he went to help the girl, he had expected that the shark would have been gone, since that's the norm when sharks attack humans. But he said this shark was vicious and continued to attack and pursue him all the way to shore.

As a memorial for Daigle, a boogie board, a magnolia and painted sand dollars were placed under a green tent. Someone had written "Bless U" in the sand. Jamie was vacationing with friends while the rest of her family was home.

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Meanwhile, there was a second shark attack Monday off Cape San Blas, some 80 miles away from Saturday's incident. This one involved a 16-year-old boy who was fishing in waist-deep water.

The shark bit his thigh, nearly severing his leg. A hospital spokeswoman said the boy is listed in critical condition, but has undergone surgery and is expected to be OK.

Beaches reopened Sunday with extra lifeguards along a stretch of the Florida Panhandle coast where the attack occurred. Coastal residents reported seeing at least one shark hunting fish close to shore.

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