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Old 04-15-2016, 09:22 PM
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ricki ricki is offline
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Sounds like another free diver has been attacked by a 7 ft. bull shark while shooting cobia off sharks off West Palm Beach.

"A West Palm Beach man described as an experienced diver and fisherman remained hospitalized Thursday after he was bitten by a bull shark Wednesday off Singer Island.

Kyle Senkowicz was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center, where he was in fair condition, hospital spokesman Ryan Lieber said.

Authorities say Senkowicz was spearfishing for cobia with other divers in the waters off Singer Island in Riviera Beach. Bystanders at Sailfish Marina, where Senkowicz was brought, said he appeared to be severely injured.

"You could see the blood coming through the gauze," said Mark Linsky, who was eating at a nearby restaurant when the rescue crew arrived, in an interview with Sun Sentinel news partner WPEC-Ch. 12. "He probably got bit pretty bad."

Reid Fleming, a friend of Senkowicz's, described Senkowicz as an experienced diver and fisherman.

An acquaintance of Senkowicz's, Michael Sember, 34, of Delray Beach, said he was last with Senkowicz during a September spearfishing trip in the Bahamas. Sember said he didn't know the details of how Senkowicz was bitten, but said that some spearfishers follow bull sharks while hunting cobia.

7-foot bull shark attacks diver off Riviera Beach; injuries 'significant,' officials say
7-foot bull shark attacks diver off Riviera Beach; injuries 'significant,' officials say
"It's a known proven technique that the bull sharks swim with the cobia and vice versa," he said. "The problem is when one person shoots the cobia, the bull shark senses there's a free meal in the water. That's when other divers try to fend off the sharks."

When he spearfished in the Bahamas with Senkowicz, Sember said there were hundreds of sharks around them.

And while shark bites get a lot of attention when they happen, Sember said the stories sometimes get overblown.

"People are giving way too much attention because they bite human beings, but they don't do it on purpose," Sember said. "It's usually a mistake or there's blood in the water."

Diver attacked by 7-foot bull shark at Sailfish Marina
A diver was bitten by a 7-foot bull shark near Singer Island on Wednesday. Authorities say the diver suffered bites to the arm and is being treated at St. Mary's Medical Center.
George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File, said sharks detect the blood and movement of a thrashing, speared fish.

He added that all shark bites involving spearfishing are classified as provoked attacks.

"While the injuries the person suffered are no less nasty, it's something that we basically cause ourselves because it's attractive to the shark," he said.

Bull sharks, which can grow up to 11 feet, have broad, triangular teeth, similar to a great white's and designed for shearing, Burgess said.

"They mean business when they bite," he said.

Last year, there were 30 shark bites in Florida, with two in Palm Beach County and one in Broward County, according to the University of Florida. The counties with the most bites in Florida were Brevard with eight, followed by Volusia with seven.

Staff researcher Barbara Hijek contributed to this report."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/pa...414-story.html


A photo of the diver and his wetsuit (his Facebook page):





A photo of the bite injury:


From: http://www.spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=188459


A comment made on the Spearboard:

"Only thing I will say as it could save a Spearo making same mistake tomorrow is that I heard they where on the notorious "ANDI wreck" out of Palm Beach inlet (in 200 ft. of water). Try not dive that wreck much any more and if i do usually only once, although good the Sharks are very teratorial there. Obv that is where Anthony got bit a couple years ago. So if going there give pause please." http://www.spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=188459
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Last edited by ricki; 04-15-2016 at 09:56 PM.
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