Multiple Florida shark attacks are being linked to bait fishing in the area. Brevard Ocean Rescue lifeguards believe when the sharks are looking for a meal, they are mistaking people in the water for food after being drawn by the blood in the water.
In a related report by The Inquisitr , a Florida woman went shark fishing and caught a giant sized lemon shark that was more double her size. But shark fishing can be quite deadly since a shark attack in California was allegedly related to the fishing of great white sharks in the area. The local council banned fishing from piers in the area for a short time but PETA is leading a campaign to have the ban become permanent.
Brevard County has suffered from three shark attacks just in the last weeks. The first victim was eight-year-old Aadyn Crick, who was bitten by a shark just feet from the shore in Indialantic. The second victim was a third grader named Christian Sanhueza . His mother watched as he was dragged underwater and although they escaped the boy suffered a severed Achilles tendon that will require multiple surgeries over time. The third victim was a 45-year-old woman swimming in the water near Tulip Lane in Cocoa Beach on Tuesday. She was bitten on the foot and has already been treated and released from the hospital.
The increase in shark activity has some people speculating why there are been more attacks than usual. For example, one local surfer believes the number of shark sightings is about normal:
“I saw a couple of spinners jump off about 100 yards out, nothing crazy. Just a couple of sharks. It’s kind of natural for Florida, especially with everything that’s going on right now, because there’s a lot of bait. And it’s kind of alive out there, the ocean has been real alive, but I saw a little bull shark too.”
Lifeguards agree the bait fish may be playing a part in the shark attacks. ‘We’ve seen some bait pods come in, that’s bringing in with it predator fish, and your sharks too,” said Chief Jeff Scabarozi of Brevard Ocean Rescue. Still, lifeguards do not believe the recent bout of shark attacks is an increasing trend although they do recommend that swimmers keep to protected areas in order to ensure their safety.