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CNN Saturday Morning News
Second Shark Attack Confirmed in Florida
Aired July 21, 2001 - 08:16 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.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, investigators in Florida have confirmed a second shark attack in Florida's Gulf of Mexico. There had been some questions about the attack. It took place six days ago near Pensacola.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And the attack was the latest in what's becoming a scary summer on Florida's beaches.
CNN's Gary Tuchman has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It must be hard to get around.
MICHAEL WATERS: It's not too bad. It's getting better every day.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Michael Waters was bitten while surfing, but he did not see a shark. The hospital that treated him wasn't able to determine if it was a shock. So it was up to a shark expert to make the determination and that happened Friday afternoon.
GEORGE BURGESS: It was a shark bite. There's no doubt at all about that, especially if you look at the surf board, as well. The surf board has a couple of tooth impressions in it, as well.
TUCHMAN: The shark was at least six or seven feet long, roughly the same size as the one that attacked little Jessie Arbogast nine days earlier in the same community of Pensacola Beach, Florida.
BURGESS: Did you bring stuff with you? Were you carrying any equipment or...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just had a basic medical bag and a CPR mask with me.
TUCHMAN: George Burgess from the International Shark Attack File, met with the two park rangers who helped rescue Jessie. Ranger Jerod Klein (ph) shot the shark when it was beached in order to retrieve Jessie's arm and Ranger Jennifer Lakota provided Jessie's CPR. Their meeting took place at the exact site of the attack.
BURGESS: And what was it like that night? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was about like this. It was really calm surf conditions that night.
TUCHMAN: Burgess says getting testimonials from authorities and shark victims help make going in the water safer.
BURGESS: We start to see patterns and those patterns then can be translated into predictions. Those predictions hopefully help this kind of thing from happening again.
TUCHMAN (on camera): The numbers of shark attacks have been trending up over the years, this despite the fact the shark population is trending down. But the experts say there are more attacks because more people are spending time at the sea.
(voice-over): His shark attack documented, Michael Waters is counting his blessings after successful foot surgery.
WATERS: I am the luckiest man on the face of this planet right now.
TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN, Pensacola Beach, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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