Latest news with #WESH
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Teen Vows to Keep Surfing After Being Attacked by Shark in 'Shark Bite Capital of the World'
"There's no reason to stop doing something you love just 'cause something bad happened to you," said Sam Hollis A teenager who was attacked by a shark earlier this month isn't going to let that deter him from getting back into the water. Sam Hollis, an 18-year-old surf instructor, according to local NBC affiliate WESH — was in the middle of giving a lesson at New Smyrna Beach, known as the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World," when he was attacked while sitting on his board with his feet dangling in the water. "[The shark] just grabbed me by my foot and yanked me off my board, and was like, 'Yeah I'm going to have you for a little snack, man,' " Hollis told the outlet in an interview from his hospital bed. "I was having none of that, so I kicked it." The kick was enough to make the shark flee, but first it sunk its teeth into the teen's foot. Fortunately, Hollis was able to swim away and get help on shore, where he was then taken to the hospital. Hollis told the outlet that although he'll still need to use crutches or some other mobility aid for a while once he's out of the hospital, he's already thinking about getting back on his board. "There's no reason to stop doing something you love just 'cause something bad happened to you," he said. "That's the first thing I want to get back to doing, because I think it's important to not let something like this dictate doing things you love." is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! According to Volusia County, where New Smyrna Beach is located, Hollis' attack marked the fourth shark attack this year — and there have been 359 'unprovoked' shark attacks recorded in the county since 1882, the most of any Florida county, according to the International Shark Attack File, the Florida Museum of Natural History's database. Read the original article on People
New York Post
7 days ago
- New York Post
Tourist charged with child abuse after manhandling teen to get better parade spot at Disney World
A tourist has been charged with child abuse for allegedly manhandling a teen to get a better view of a parade at Walt Disney World. Martha Lucia Zapata-Echeverri, 51, allegedly grabbed a 17-year-old girl and left nail marks on her during Monday's brawl at Disney's Magic Kingdom, according to an Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) affidavit obtained by PEOPLE. The accuser told deputies she was 'standing on the sidewalk of 'Main Street' in front of the castle preparing to watch the parade.' Zapata-Echeverri — a Colombian who now lives in Spain — then allegedly 'put her hand on [the teen] 'trying to make space,'' just for the girl to ask her in Spanish 'not to touch her,' the affidavit continues. Tourist Martha Lucia Zapata-Echeverri was arrested after allegedly fighting a teen at Walt Disney World. Orange County Sheriff's Office Instead, Zapata-Echeverri 'grabbed [the teen] by the arm and pulled her to the side, causing a bruise and abrasion on her right arm,' according to the affidavit. The tourist — who was with her daughter — blamed the teen for starting the fight by pushing into her and saying it was 'her spot' as they all tried to get good spots for the parade. She was unable to explain how the teen had 'nail marks,' the affidavit said, saying the suspect instead 'just pantomimed her 'pushing.'' The fight reportedly broke out over getting a better spot at the Disney parade. satur73 – Zapata Echeverri was uninjured in the incident at around 9:40 p.m., which ended with deputies separating the pair. So far, no video of the fight has been found, the affidavit said. Zapata-Echeverri arrived in the US on a tourist visa on July 2 and was scheduled to fly back to Spain on Wednesday, her attorney told a judge during her court appearance on Tuesday, WESH reported. Her bond was reduced to $2,500 and she was banned from Disney properties, WESH reported. Walt Disney World did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
CBS News
21-07-2025
- CBS News
Surf instructor yanked off board, bitten by shark off Florida beach
An 18-year-old surf instructor was rushed to the hospital on Friday after he was attacked by a shark at a Florida beach. Sam Hollis said he was bitten on his foot while surfing off New Smyrna Beach, about 60 miles northeast of Orlando. He told NBC affiliate WESH about his frightening experience. Hollis said he was instructing when a big wave washed over him. He said he got back on his board, letting his feet hang in the water, when he was attacked. "It just grabbed me by my foot and just yanked me off my board and was like, yeah, I'm having you for a little snack man. And then I was like having none of that so I kicked it." Hollis said. Hollis said the kick knocked the shark away from his body, and he was able to swim away. He was taken to the hospital where he was treated for bite marks on his foot. "So this is what it feels like. I was like, this is what feeling attacked by a shark feels like," he said. Hollis said he's been around the water since he was a little kid and knows the risks that come with surfing. "There's no reason to stop doing something you love just because something bad happened to you," he said. He said as soon as he recovers, he'll be back out on the water. "That's the first thing I want, to get back out to doing because I think it's important to not let something like this dictate doing things that you love," Hollis said. This is the third reported shark encounter off the coast of New Smyrna Beach in just over a month. A surfer said an airborne spinner shark knocked him off his board in June. In July, another surfer was bitten on the arm by a shark, saying he "felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere." New Smyrna Beach is known as the "Shark Bite Capital of the World." It's been the site of more than 300 shark attacks since the 1980s, according to the International Shark Attack File in Gainesville.
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Time of India
Shark bites surfer at Florida's Volusia County beach: Why is it called the ‘shark bite capital of the world'?
A surf instructor was bitten on the foot by a shark at New Smyrna Beach, Florida, marking the fourth shark encounter in Volusia County this year. The incident occurred around noon, resulting in a 'nasty' but non-life-threatening injury. New Smyrna Beach is known as the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World' due to its high number of unprovoked shark attacks. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Emergency vehicles rushed to the scene Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why Volusia County is a hotspot for Shark bites A surfer suffered a 'nasty' injury after a shark bit him on the foot in Florida's New Smyrna Beach on Friday, July 18, 2025. The bite marked the fourth shark encounter in Volusia County. The injury, however, was not a life-threatening one. An 18-year-old was surfing on the beach, also known as the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World.' It's in a Florida city notorious for shark encounters, where the incident took unidentified teen, a surf instructor, according to local NBC affiliate WESH, was at New Smyrna Beach around 12 PM (local time) on July 18, 2025, when the encounter took place, Tamra Malphurs, director of the Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue, told local outlet FOX the shark bite incident, the surf instructor was rushed to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Malphurs told FOX 35. The surfer's boss described the injury as 'nasty,' according to WESH. An anonymous eyewitness suggested that several first responders arrived on the scene of the attack, according to PEOPLE. This marks the fourth shark encounter in Florida's Volusia County so far this year, according to the county emergency vehicles and a police car arrived 'pretty quickly' after the surfer was bitten, the bystander told WESH. 'And some of the instructors came and got the lifeguard on the stand here and down.'New Smyrna Beach, a surfing hub south of Daytona Beach, is widely known as the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World,' according to WESH and The Daytona Beach than two weeks before the July 18 attack, a man identified as Matthew Bender was bitten by a shark while surfing in the Florida city, per FOX 35."I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere," Bender told the outlet of the attack, which took place on July 6. 'By the time I looked down, it was already gone. I never saw the shark, but it bit really forcefully. It felt like electricity and like extreme pressure.'"And then I think it shook its head. I definitely felt that as it was letting go,' added Bender. 'It was also fast.'There have been 359 'unprovoked' shark attacks recorded in Volusia County since 1882, the most of any Florida county, according to the International Shark Attack File, the Florida Museum of Natural History's database. The next highest is Brevard County, with County 'is conducive toward shark bites' due to a 'confluence of factors,' Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History's Florida Program for Shark Research, previously told The Daytona Beach that there are also environmental factors like the nutrients in the region, Naylor told the newspaper in 2024, 'You need a bunch of sharks, and they need to be in the mood to bite things, and you need a bunch of people in the same area at the same time.'Sharks like blacktips and spinner sharks, which are also found in the area, 'are highly piscivorous,' the evolutionary biologist told The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Naylor further explained that their diet typically consists of fish, so when they bite a person, the reaction of the injured individual scares them away. 'If they were bull sharks or tiger sharks,' Naylor said, 'they might stick around a little bit more, and the injuries would be a lot worse.'
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Yahoo
Shark Attacks Surfer, 18, at Florida Beach Known as the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World'
The surf instructor's foot injury marks the fourth shark bite at New Smyrna beach this yearNEED TO KNOW A shark bit a surf instructor on the foot in Florida's New Smyrna Beach, which also known as the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World," on July 18 The 18-year-old surfer suffered a "nasty" but not life-threatening injury The bite marked the fourth shark encounter in Volusia County in 2025An 18-year-old was surfing in a Florida city notorious for shark encounters when one sunk its teeth into his foot. The unidentified teen — a surf instructor, according to local NBC affiliate WESH — was at New Smyrna Beach around 12 p.m. local time on Friday, July 18, when the encounter occurred, Tamra Malphurs, director of the Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue, told local outlet FOX 35. (The Daytona Beach News-Journal and local ABC affiliate WFTV also reported the news.) After the shark bit his foot, the surf instructor was transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Malphurs told FOX 35. The surfer's boss described the injury as 'nasty,' according to WESH. Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, July 19. According to an anonymous eyewitness, several first responders arrived on the scene of the attack, which marks the fourth shark encounter in Florida's Volusia County so far this year, according to the county website. Two emergency vehicles and a police car 'came pretty quickly' after the surfer was bitten, the bystander told WESH. 'And some of the instructors came and got the lifeguard on the stand here and down.' New Smyrna Beach, a surfing hub south of Daytona Beach, is widely known as the 'Shark Bite Capital of the World,' according to WESH and The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Less than two weeks before the July 18 attack, a man identified as Matthew Bender was bitten by a shark while surfing in the Florida city, per FOX 35. "I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere," Bender told the outlet of the attack, which took place on July 6. 'By the time I looked down, it was already gone. I never saw the shark, but it bit really forcefully. It felt like electricity and like extreme pressure.' "And then I think it shook its head. I definitely felt that as it was letting go,' added Bender. ' It was also fast.' There have been 359 'unprovoked' shark attacks recorded in Volusia County since 1882, the most of any Florida county, according to the International Shark Attack File, the Florida Museum of Natural History's database. The next highest is Brevard County, with 159. Volusia County 'is conducive toward shark bites' due to a 'confluence of factors,' Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History's Florida Program for Shark Research, previously told The Daytona Beach News-Journal. 'You need a bunch of sharks, and they need to be in the mood to bite things, and you need a bunch of people in the same area at the same time,' Naylor told the newspaper in 2024, explaining that there are also environmental factors, like the nutrients in the area. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Though the species of shark behind the recent Volusia County bites is unknown, blacktip sharks are responsible for most of the bites in the region, according to Naylor. Sharks like blacktips and spinner sharks, which are also found in the area, 'are highly piscivorous,' the evolutionary biologist told The Daytona Beach News-Journal, detailing that their diet typically consists of fish, so when they bite a person, the injured individual's reaction scares them away. 'If they were bull sharks or tiger sharks,' Naylor said, 'they might stick around a little bit more, and the injuries would be a lot worse.' Read the original article on People
