Surfer Frantically Paddles To Escape Approaching Shark [Pic]

local6 ^ | July 28, 2008

[stainlessbanner]

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- A surfer in New Smyrna Beach was caught on tape kicking and paddling frantically after spotting a shark closing in on him a day after a boy was bitten in the same area.

A TV news helicopter spotted the surfer paddling in the water unaware that a shark was nearby.

Video showed the surfer eventually noticing the shark and then fleeing. He is seen kicking when the shark is near his feet.

Just hours before the encounter, a 15- year-old was hospitalized after jumping on a shark.

"It appears that he actually just put his foot right into the shark's mouth," victim's mother Tammy Zettle said. "It is just a straight on shot and there are a lot of deep cuts and lacerations on the top."

Officials said the Troy Zettle was bitten by the shark in about 10 feet of water near the 2700 block of North Atlantic Avenue.

The cuts on Zettle's foot and leg were so severe that he will have to have an operation on his right foot.

He may have also suffered tendon damage

[stainlessbanner]

[autumnraine]

I have a 100% guaranteed way to avoid shark attacks.

[West Texas Chuck]

Any shark that wants a bite of me will need to learn to crawl, faster than I can run.

[SJSAMPLE]

Yes, but all means, go ahead and make splashy movements and sounds.

Sure, you can out-run that shark.
Really.

[Patrick1]

He’s going to need a bigger board.

[CholeraJoe]

a 15- year-old was hospitalized after jumping on a shark.

NO, fool. You jump over the shark.

[Squidpup]

reminds me of this:

[RexBeach]

I used to go body surfing there - at night - after a few beers - with friends.

Hmmm. Guess I had some guardian angels nearby. My pals, too.

[WakeUpAndVote]

[Joe 6-pack]

"Just hours before the encounter, a 15- year-old was hospitalized after jumping on a shark."

I hope he at least gets a bronze in the Darwins.

[stefanbatory]

Sharks off New Smyrna are not exactly news in these parts...

It’s still a pretty freaky picture...

[Michael.SF.]

Just hours before the encounter, a 15- year-old was hospitalized after jumping on a shark.

The Fonz would be proud.

[stevio]

And I’m sure that no one here would panic after seeing a shark beneath them.

[Hacklehead]

Confucius say: When being approached by a shark, try not to look like an injured seal.

[brytlea]

I’m nervous every time we kayak in the ocean.
susie

[stefanbatory]

I should also point out that the largest shark nursery in the Atlantic Ocean is off the New Smyrna coast...

[JRandomFreeper]

Shark makes a pretty good meal. But not good enough to use yourself for bait.

/johnny

[VeniVidiVici]

Same beach a few weeks ago

I think the sharks are pissed and they ain't gonna take no mo!

[umgud]

[EternalVigilance]

I think the sharks are pissed and they ain't gonna take no mo!

Wouldn't you be?

[Ditto]

Looks fake to me... especially since the Golden Gate bridge is pretty far from South Africa. ;~))

[rahbert]

I could swear thats the GG Bridge and the Marin Headlands..

[mbynack]

Urban Legend. It's two different photos that have been photoshopped.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/shark.asp

[Dr. Ursus]

There’s a restaurant in Beijing that only has a certain
part of the male on the menu. The shark was described as
“crunchy.”

[Wil H]

Wow! - And how did the get The Golden Gate Bridge to South Africa in one piece for that shot I wonder?

You are not John Edwards in disguise are you?

[EternalVigilance]

Let me guess. The meal cost a fin.

[rjp2005]

That is NOT a real photo.

[rjp2005]

That is NOT a real photo.

[umgud]

I don’t know wheter the photo is real or not. The caption came with the phot and I don;t know how to photo-shop it out, but it is a great pic.

[Carpe Cerevisi]

Trust me, it ain’t real.

[swain_forkbeard]

Gotta love litotes.

[stainlessbanner]

Disco channel had a show about the jumping great whites a couple of weeks back. Amazing video highlights [utube]

[Doohickey]

I know when I see the Comic Sans MS font that everything I’m going to read is BS. :)

[retrokitten]

I have a 100% guaranteed way to avoid shark attacks.

Probably the same as mine, staying out of shark infested waters.

It's actually a two-pronged plan, as it spares the world me in a bathing suit.

[autumnraine]

Yep, that’s my plan.

Do not go into the ocean and you will never get bit by a shark.

Or rivers in some cases.

[jwparkerjr]

Remember the joke about the Mexican City restaurant that served that part of the bull from bull fights? When a customer complained the dish was smallish and not really tasty that day the waiter replied, “Well, senor, sometimes the bull wins!”

[jwparkerjr]

re: did the get The Golden Gate Bridge to South Africa

Pro photographers have very good equipment, especially lenses. And it's a fact that when you're using a long telephoto lens things in the background tend to look closer than they really are. It's called compression and sports shooters use it all the time to get neat pictures.

[MARTIAL MONK]

Olympic Swim team training center.

[VeniVidiVici]

Unfortunately, we can't troll for sharks here in Florida.

[fightinJAG]

Having two sons and otherwise a family of surfers, we watch Shark Week every year.

This year one show did a study on whether it is better to try to stay still or to swim away (flee) when stalked by a shark.

The clear answer was to swim away and that making a commotion was helpful. Otherwise the shark may bite just out of curiousity.

[fightinJAG]

WOW!

[umgud]

The pic is faked

[VeniVidiVici]

The helicopter pic? :) I was making a joke. Using the scuba diver for trolling. Ah, never mind. Sometimes the humor is lost in email :-)

[dr_lew]

Reminds me of a Jonathan Winters review of JAWS, “ ... I think they’re still swimming in the middle part of the country. There aren’t TOO many sharks in the Mississippi River.”

[Lijahsbubbe]

It would be nice if the writer let us know what eventually happened to the subject of the story.....

[Dr. Ursus]

Funny!