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  #21  
Old 02-04-2010, 08:35 PM
bigpimp'n bigpimp'n is offline
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I just cant believe this happened, I feel so sorry for his family.
I now have a new appreciation for how brave lifeguards are, to go out & do what he did is really something else.
RIP Bro.
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  #22  
Old 02-04-2010, 08:50 PM
robertovillate robertovillate is offline
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This is a terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to his family and friends. God rest his soul.

And bravo to the lifeguard who risked his life to save a fellow kiter/waterman. That takes some real character and courage.


the following is not a "should-a, could-a, would-a" comment, but for whatever it's worth....
Exactly one week ago I was kiting a few miles from the spot that the shark attack occurred. I started out with a 9.5m, and then the wind dropped, so I came in for my 13.5m. The waves were nice so I did not want to miss it. I knew the wind was trending down and I knew there was a chance of my 13.5m kite coming down...and it did just that, about 1000' offshore. I was unable to keep my surfboard with me as I tried in vain to relaunch a few times. I then very quickly decided to stay very calm and just float - no kicking or swimming motions -and pull myself to the kite slowly. I was worried about sharks. I got to my kite, and started a wingtip sail self-rescue and got to the beach pretty quickly. I kept my eye on the board, which surfed it's way in about 5 minutes after I got to the beach. I just mention this because I feel that, knowing there are a lot of sharks in the area, I wanted to attract as little attention as possible. I may be fooling myself, but I felt this was a good approach, and maybe people want to think about that under these kind of circumstances.
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Last edited by robertovillate; 02-05-2010 at 07:25 PM.
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  #23  
Old 02-05-2010, 08:29 AM
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Dr. Burgess, Director of the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History examined the shark attack wounds yesterday and came up with some important conclusions about the attack. He is an expert in this field maintaining the global database of shark attacks. I spoke to him yesterday by phone prior to his attending the post mortem. He speculated it was less likely spinner sharks were responsible for the initial attack but more probably a larger shark such as a bull shark. Spinners may hit humans by accident but usually move on after limited interaction. Spinners are preyed up on these same larger sharks during the seasonal migration.

In the article below, it is stated "The shark that killed a kiteboarder off Stuart this week was an 8- or 9-foot shark in the requiem family, a group which includes bull sharks and tiger sharks, a shark attack expert (Burgess), who examined the body said Thursday evening."

It goes on to say; "Blacktip and spinner sharks, also members of the requiem family, are responsible for many attacks, but those are generally just single bites by a shark that thinks a hand or foot is a fish. Bull sharks and tigers are known killers, and along with great whites, are "the primary attackers of man," according to the International Shark Attack File. There had been speculation that a great white had been the attacker, but Burgess said his examination definitively ruled out that species."

This opinion discounts what some thought was a weakly supported claim that white sharks may have responsible for the attack.

The article also states; "Schafer's death was a rare event in a state where shark attacks often are minor lacerations caused by small sharks. Worldwide about 8 percent of shark attacks result in death, but in Florida about 1 percent are fatal, according to the International Shark Attack File's statistics."



"Expert suspects tiger or bull sharks killed kiteboarder

By David Fleshler, Sun Sentinel
8:54 p.m. EST, February 4, 2010

STUART - The shark that killed a kiteboarder off Stuart this week was an 8- or 9-foot shark in the requiem family, a group which includes bull sharks and tiger sharks, a shark attack expert who examined the body said Thursday evening.

Two bite wounds on the thigh caused the death of Stephen Howard Schafer, victim of the first fatal shark attack in Florida since 2005, said George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Burgess drove to the medical examiner's office in Fort Pierce on Thursday to examine the body.

Blacktip and spinner sharks, also members of the requiem family, are responsible for many attacks, but those are generally just single bites by a shark that thinks a hand or foot is a fish. Bull sharks and tigers are known killers, and along with great whites, are "the primary attackers of man," according to the International Shark Attack File. There had been speculation that a great white had been the attacker, but Burgess said his examination definitively ruled out that species.

About 4 p.m. Wednesday lifeguard Daniel Lund peered through binoculars and saw Schafer lying on his board about a quarter-mile offshore, officials said. When Lund paddled out, he saw blood in the water and Schafer screamed "I've been bitten by a shark," according to an interview Lund gave to WPTV-Ch. 5.

Lund held Schafer on his rescue board with one arm and paddled to shore with the other, as sharks circled.

"It's not like the dorsal fins come out of the water like you see … in the movies," he told the television station. "They generally kinda cruise through the waves, and you can see the shadows going underneath and so on, so you know they're there."

A report by the Martin County Sheriff's Office said Schafer had suffered an 8- to 10-inch bite on the thigh, bites on the buttocks and apparent defensive wounds on the right hand.

More than 100 sharks were seen in the ocean off Reef Road in Palm Beach on Thursday morning, prompting lifeguards to monitor the beaches to see if any should be closed, WPTV-Ch. 5 reports.

Last week, beaches were closed for three days on Singer Island because of shark sightings. Hammerheads, spinners, reef and bull sharks are common off South Florida this time of year, when they follow schools of migrating fish."


Continued at:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,5808685.story

TV Interview with Dr. Burgess:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/videobet...350c&src=front
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Last edited by ricki; 02-05-2010 at 01:52 PM.
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  #24  
Old 02-05-2010, 10:01 AM
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More from the autopsy:

Dr. Linda O’Neil, associate medical examiner for the District 19 Medical Examiner’s Office at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, said the autopsy she conducted Thursday afternoon revealed the cause of death was “exsanguination, or loss of blood, due to shark bites.”

O’Neil said Schafer suffered “two shark bites, one more serious than the other. The more serious was on the back of his right thigh. It was from 9 to 10 inches long and very deep. In fact, one of the teeth hit the bone.”

O’Neil said the second bite was “across the buttocks. The wound itself was really teeth marks, puncture bites. It didn’t tear any flesh away.”

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/feb/...om-loss-of-in/
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  #25  
Old 02-05-2010, 11:02 AM
conchxpress conchxpress is offline
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West Palm News at wptv.com has some incredible video of the amazing number of sharks in the water near the area where the attack took place. They were taken the next day. Here are a couple of stills taken from that video. If you go down in the water, either falling or if the wind dies, I don't see how someone would have a chance of not being bitten. With that number of hungry predators competing for food, I don't think it matters what goes in the water. From the autopsy reports, they said that the flesh didn't appear to be torn, so it doesn't appear that the sharks were interested in consumption, probably only investigatory bites from a large competing group. It would be great if, along with the wind and waves forecast, there could be video like this to alert people of the shark density. I only hope that during the paddleboard ride back to the beach, Stephen's mind was at peace knowing that someone had rescued him from the horror that he had been through.
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  #26  
Old 02-05-2010, 01:21 PM
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Just came across this TV interview shot at kitebeach in Jupiter seeking the reaction of local kiteboarders.

http://www.tcpalm.com/videos/detail/...-shark-attack/
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  #27  
Old 02-05-2010, 02:12 PM
kent kent is offline
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I also offer my sincere condolences to his family. I didn't really know Steve, but I have seen him on the water and on the beach before. The photos of him that I saw made this event so much more real. He was obviously an accomplished rider and waterman from what I understand. This is really something that could happen to anyone. I only wish that he could have been reached earlier despite the obvious extraordinary effort that the guard put into saving him.

While this is tragic, I personally wouldn't read much more into this attack than what it was. This was sadly just a bad luck event with a terrible outcome. After events like these, the media gets all excited, launches the choppers, and brings the experts. The sharks are there all of the time, although maybe not in these numbers. Spinners aren't going to do more than nip and it generally takes some time for them to get up the courage to do anything. I wish that I knew the circumstances surrounding this attack. I have my own ideas, but I guess that we will never know. As I'm sure Rick will attest to, it is generally pretty hard to get a shark interested enough in you to attack, especially unprovoked. I spearfish all of the time and have encounters with sharks every time I go. Even in the water with injured fish, an attack is still pretty unlikely provided that you keep your eyes open. I guess that it is probably a bit more dangerous on top of the water, but once again this must have simply been Steve's time. I don't think that there was anything that he could have done to change this outcome after the events started to unfold. I see a few posts about people’s fear of sharks. I came from South Dakota originally and therefore when I came to Florida this is all that I thought about. After spending a good amount of time in the water with them, I am far more comfortable. I still take precautions and avoid swimming the inlets, etc., but wouldn't expect that this is the start of any trend.

My thoughts are with Steve and his family.
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  #28  
Old 03-10-2010, 10:48 AM
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The Kiteboarder published a memorial to this unique man recently lost following a shark attack during kiteboarding session off Hutchinson Island, FL. You can subscribe to the magazine or see an online copy of this once posted and past issues at: http://www.thekiteboarder.com/wordpress/

or at:

http://fksa.org/showthread.php?p=44323#post44323
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Last edited by ricki; 03-10-2010 at 07:26 PM.
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  #29  
Old 03-10-2010, 07:30 PM
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They're still raising money for the commemorative sculpture for Steve.

" Memorial Stephen Schafer Update: I met with Stephen's mom on Friday with all we have collected. We officially Opened the memorial fund at Seacoast National Bank. You can now drop a donation off at any Seacoast branch. Happy to say we have collect over 4,000 dollars and we will keep you posted. Just giving the family time.. Thank you to all w...hom donated and BIG thanks to Surf Central, Ohana & The Arts Council for collecting ~ steph forsberg"

(From the "Memorial Stephen Schafer" Facebook page)
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  #30  
Old 02-04-2011, 01:25 PM
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Lifeguard Daniel Lund Honored

"Lifeguard in Wednesday's shark-attack rescue a 'hero,' colleagues say

Years after a shark ripped into his leg and ankle, Daniel Lund became an ocean lifeguard.

The consummate "water man," he grew up on the ocean and loved it too much not to accept its inherent risks. In that sense, Lund, 46, had something in common with Stephen Schafer, 38, the well-known surfer whose life he tried to save Wednesday off Stuart Beach.

Lund's fellow lifeguards described him as highly skilled and compassionate. They said no one was better equipped to handle what unfolded that day after a shark attacked Schafer as he was kiteboarding about a quarter-mile offshore.

To bring Schafer in, Lund paddled into bloody, shark-infested waters, ignoring the risk to himself.

"If I'm out there and I'm bleeding real bad and I'm scared, I want a guy like Dan Lund to show up," said lifeguard Mike Mammen. "He's a hero in my book.""

Continued at: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/li...ro-216416.html


Daniel Lund awarded Metal of Valor by USLA:
http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_...highest-honor-


Video interview of Daniel Lund: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/vi...to-214122.html



Daniel after his own shark attack in 1986


Daniel Lund today
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Last edited by ricki; 02-04-2011 at 09:42 PM.
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