Shark Travel: New Smyrna Going for Gold
It's only been spring for a couple weeks in the Northern Hemisphere, and New Smyrna is already making a play for this summer's "Most Dangerous Beach" award. Four people have already have suffered shark bites in Volusia County this year--including three in the past 10 days--and that has locals thinking this year's title is within easy reach.
The latest shark victim was 18-year-old surfer Joey Giangrasso, bitten on Thursday:
I thought he was just going to hit me and leave, but he like held on for a second when I went to pull out he clamped on a little harder and shook his head. And that's when I like reached down in the water and tried to grab or push or do whatever I could. He finally let go.
Luckily doctors were able to patch Joey up--though it took more stitches than they could count.
Meanwhile a spokesman for the local beach patrol says the last time there were this many bites this early was in 2001, the "Year of the Shark." New Smyrna racked up 22 shark attacks that season.
Go straight to our Killer Beaches 2007 Map.
Related Stories:
· Killer Beaches of 2007: New Smyrna Beach [Jaunted]
· New Smyrna Surfer Suffers "Very Deep" Gash from Shark [News-Journal]
· Fourth Shark Bite in Volusia County [WDBO]
[Photo: jencommunicado]
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