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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ICE pulled over and arrested Marcelo Gomes da Silva, 18, on his drive to volleyball practice at Milford High School in Massachusetts on May 31. The next day, Gomes da Silva's girlfriend and the other seniors at Milford High School graduated under a cloud of angst. Gomes da Silva, an 11th grader, was absent, as were two of the graduating students and the families of many others who feared arrest and deportation if they showed up. "I heard many stories of people who didn't cheer for their children," for fear of being exposed to immigration authorities, Coleen Greco, mother of a volleyball teammate of Gomes da Silva's, told USA TODAY. Federal officials said they were targeting Gomes da Silva's father, who owns the car he was driving, because he is undocumented and has a history of speeding. Gomes da Silva's attorney Robin Nice said his father has no arrests or convictions for speeding. The family moved to the United States from Brazil when Gomes da Silva was 7 years old and overstayed their visa, according to Nice. At the school's graduation ceremony, Milford High School Principal Joshua Otlin referred to the community's lingering "fear and anxiety" after Gomes da Silva's arrest. 'There is wrenching despair and righteous anger, where there should be gratitude and joy," he said. Gomes da Silva was later released from the ICE detention facility after six days in custody. He has applied for asylum in the hopes of avoiding deportation. A new surge of fear for immigrant families with school children Officials at schools with large immigrant populations say many students have been fearful since Trump ramped up immigration enforcement. "There's been very high levels of anxiety in the community about immigration enforcement for many months," said Otlin. Many immigrant families in Los Angeles County, where Sontay Ramos and Garcia Lara lived, avoided graduation ceremonies after Trump sent National Guard Troops to the Southern California city when Angelenos protested ICE arrests there in June. How LA school graduations Became the epicenter of fear for ICE family separations Los Angeles Unified School District has produced 'know your rights' cards with directions on how to respond if approached by immigration agents to students who request them, said Christy Hagen, a spokesperson for the district. Officials there are urging parents and guardians to update their students' emergency contact information and designate a trusted adult as an authorized caregiver in the event they are detained, she said. School officials elsewhere said they are also making plans to aid immigrant students ahead of the new school year. Garcia, the high school principal from Detroit, said the school may increase English language instruction for students who speak it as a second language. He wants to give students "more agency in knowing their rights." "We have to be more up front and honest with students about the dangers that we're currently experiencing in our country, especially for those who are not citizens." he said. While Garcia Lara won't return to nearby Torrance Unified in the fall, Myers, the spokesperson for his old school district, said the school community's concern about the young boy and his father's well-being has "reaffirmed our district's belief in the human spirit." Contributing: Ben Adler, USA TODAY; Max Reinhart, The Detroit News Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@ Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez.
