Canadian tourist severely injured after shark bite at Florida beach, officials say
The man, who is in his 40s, was at a beach in Hollywood, Florida, 21 miles north of Miami, when the shark attack occurred July 22 at 2:50 p.m. local time, Chai Kauffman, the Hollywood Fire Rescue and Beach Safety public information officer told USA TODAY.
Emergency officials responded to the scene, where they found the man with "severe lacerations to the upper arm area," Kauffman said. They were able to apply a tourniquet and take the victim to a hospital where he underwent surgery.
The victim declined to speak to the press, but he is in stable condition, according to Kauffman.
Shark sightings: Massive 13-foot great white shark pings off New England coast
'There was a big splash'
The victim, who was visiting Florida with friends and family, was in chest-deep water with a friend when a fish jumped over his head.
"Right after that, there was a big splash, and he noticed that he was injured," Kauffman, who retold the story on the victim's behalf, said.
The victim then walked to the shore, sat on the sand, and nearby beach goers rendered aid to him with towels until EMS arrived.
At the hospital, it was confirmed that a shark bite caused his injury, Kauffman said.
This is the first shark attack to occur in Hollywood in 2025.
11 shark attacks so far in 2025
As of July 22, 11 shark attack bites have been reported in the U.S., six of which were in Florida, according to Tracking Sharks.
In 2024, the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File confirmed that 47 unprovoked shark bites and 24 provoked bites occurred worldwide. It investigated a total of 88 alleged shark attacks.
"The total number of unprovoked shark bites worldwide remains extremely low," the museum stated on its website. "Fatalities saw a decrease over the past year."
Surfer bitten by shark days before Hollywood Beach attack
On July 18, a shark bit Aaron Jenkins, 18, while he was surfing in New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County, Florida, 58 miles northeast of Orlando, Florida, according to USA TODAY's previous reporting.
"It just kind of felt like something clamping down really hard, and then it kind of felt hot, because the teeth obviously, you know, started to dig into my skin," Hollis told NBC's Today.
The attack is the second to occur at the beach, which is located in the county that is the self-proclaimed "Shark Bite Capital of the World."
Contributing: Melina Khan, USA TODAY
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com
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