JUPITER ISLAND, FL-- A lifeguard for the Jupiter Island Beach Club, who decided to do some surfing before stating work, was bitten by a shark, Capt. Barry Pawluk of the Jupiter Island Public Safety Department said Monday.
“He was bitten on the right foot and the injury does not appear to be life threatening. He got himself ashore and used the phone at the club to call for help," Pawluk said.
“We responded and Martin County Fire/Rescue took him to the hospital in Jupiter.”
Pawluk said because he is a club employee, he could not provide a name for the surfer.
The incident took place about 9:30 a.m., Monday, according to Doug Killane, Martin County Fire/Rescue fire prevention chief.
Killane said the extent of the man’s injuries is unknown and he was taken to a local hospital. Under privacy laws, the subject’s name and address could not be released, he said.
Dan Lund, an Emergency Medical Technician with the Ocean Lifeguard service, said there are a lot of bait fish, including Spanish mackerel and other varieties, offshore and that is attracting the sharks.
“The water is murky because of the storms north of us, and the sharks are hunting by sense,” Lund said. “They usually bite down once on a human and find it is not what they want and then let go. Of course, that does a lot of damage.”
Lund said the sharks are far offshore, but so are the swells which attract the surfers.
