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CNN Live At Daybreak

Rescue Teams Patrolling Virginia Beach All Day

Aired September 03, 2001 - 08:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rescue teams will be patrolling Virginia Beach today, where the shark killed a 10-year-old boy, the first fatality in the U.S. this year. And it happened over the weekend, as David Peltier was playing in just a few feet of water. It's the first shark attack in that area in 30 years.

CNN's Patty Davis is in Virginia Beach this morning, and she has got more on what's happening there -- hi, Patty.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Well, in fact, those patrol boats are out this morning scanning for signs of any more sharks. The EMS -- Emergency Medical Services says it has about 20 to 30 divers in those boats looking for any signs. Also lifeguards have been briefed about what to look for.

Here is what they are looking for specifically: any disturbances in the water that may indicate more sharks; any fins of sharks that they may be looking for.

Now, so far, they have spotted none since Saturday. That's when 10-year-old David Peltier was attacked. He was surfing with his father and his brothers off a sandbar off of Sandbridge Beach, which is about 10 miles down from where we are right now, about 150 off in four feet of water.

EMS officials are calling his father a hero for putting his life on the line trying to pry that jaws of that shark open. He did punch the shark in the head allowing him -- allowing the shark to release the child, took the child ashore, but David Peltier then died of his wounds. An artery in his leg had been severed.

Now, the beaches are open today, since there have been no sightings. There hasn't been a shark attack here in recent memory, but beachgoers and officials are being very cautious.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nervous, yeah, just kind of grateful that it wasn't one of my children. I feel terrible for the family. But I'd just as soon keep my kids out of the water and not take my chances. I don't want to test fate in any way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Normally we would go out and do some body surfing. Today, we just went in wading.

DAVIS: A little nervous?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it gives you pause. It's pretty serious.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, usually I go boogie boarding out pretty deep, up to maybe here. And I was just afraid today, because, I mean, he didn't go out very far and he got bit. So I was nervous; and not many kids were out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Now, still a lot of beachgoers here. This is a very big weekend here in Virginia Beach. The Labor Day weekend a final beach going -- big beach going week of the season. As you heard, a lot of beachgoers taking their time sunbathing here, but not a lot going in the water -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And not a bad idea -- Patty Davis, thanks so much.

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