A kiteboard surfer fatally bitten by a shark on Wednesday died of blood loss, a medical examiner’s doctor said this morning.

After examining the body of Stephen Schafer, Dr. Linda O’Neil concluded that Schafer was bitten twice, once on the buttocks and once on the right thigh. She said the bites, which were 9 to 10 inches in diameter, likely came from the same shark.”

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/autopsy-kiteboarder-died-from-loss-of-blood-in-215439.html

Some newspapers, especially the British tabloids, have sensationalized this story to the extent that people are afraid to get back into the water.

The UK tabloid “The Sun” exclaims: “Sharks have savaged a kitesurfer to death in a rare and brutal attack.”

Shaefer was bitten only twice, most likely by the same shark.

Sharks aren’t lurking close to the beach just waiting to pounce on a hapless surfer, they prefer deeper waters.

Very few people die from shark bites, this is the first fatal shark attack off Florida in five years.

The Florida beaches are safe, beach lovers just need to exercise some common sense. If the local media is reporting that sharks are massing off of the Florida coast, it may not be a good time to go skinny-dipping.

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