A man in his 40s was critically injured in a shark attack near Amelia Island, Florida, on Friday, adding to the recent spate of shark-related incidents along the state’s coast. Authorities reported that the victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, sustained a severe bite to his right arm and was hospitalized in critical condition.

Critical Injury Off Amelia Island

The incident occurred shortly after 11 a.m. when Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper’s Marine Unit, patrolling the waters off Amelia Island, received a distress call. Upon arrival, deputies found the man suffering from a severe shark bite to his forearm, bleeding heavily. A deputy applied a tourniquet and piloted the man’s boat to Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp, where emergency responders from Fernandina Beach Fire Rescue were waiting. The man was subsequently airlifted to a local hospital, where he is expected to recover.

Recent Shark Attacks Raise Concerns

This attack follows a series of shark attacks that occurred off Florida’s Gulf Coast earlier in June. On June 7, three individuals were injured in two separate shark attacks. A woman lost her lower left arm and suffered significant trauma to other parts of her body, while two teenagers sustained injuries to their upper leg, hand, and foot. These incidents highlight the persistent risk of shark attacks, despite their rarity.

Shark Attack Statistics

According to the International Shark Attack File, Friday’s incident marks only the ninth confirmed unprovoked shark attack in Nassau County since 1882. The last such attack occurred in July 2018. In contrast, other Florida counties have seen higher numbers of shark attacks. Volusia County leads the state with 351 incidents, followed by Brevard with 158 and Palm Beach with 83. Last year, Florida recorded 16 shark attacks, representing 44% of the U.S. total and 23% of unprovoked bites worldwide. This figure is slightly lower than the state’s five-year annual average of 19 incidents.

Despite these incidents, shark attacks remain extremely rare. The odds of being attacked by a shark are 1 in 11.5 million, and fatal shark bites are even less common, with a 1 in 3,748,067 chance of dying from a shark attack in the U.S.

Stay Safe From Sharks

To minimize the risk of shark encounters, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offers several safety tips:

• Always stay in groups, as sharks are more likely to target solitary individuals.
• Avoid swimming far from shore, particularly during darkness or twilight hours when sharks are most active.
• Do not enter the water if bleeding from an open wound or if menstruating, as sharks can detect blood.
• Avoid wearing shiny jewelry, which can resemble fish scales in the water.
• Steer clear of waters with known discharges, sewage, or where fishing activity is prevalent.
• Exercise caution in murky waters and near steep drop-offs or sandbars, which are favored by sharks.
• Swim only in areas monitored by lifeguards and exit the water immediately if sharks are sighted.