Boy in Guarded Condition After Shark Bite

[BaysideLiberal]

FREEPORT, Texas - An 11-year-old boy was in guarded condition Sunday night at a Houston hospital after firefighters say he was bitten on the arm and leg by a shark at Bryan Beach on the Gulf of Mexico.

The boy, whose name was not released, was flown by helicopter to Memorial Hermann Children's Hospital. Amy Berryman, operations administrator, said his condition was being evaluated in the emergency room.

The attack occurred about 8 p.m. as the boy was fishing for trout with his family, Fire Marshal Chris Motley told The Facts for a story in its Monday editions. Motley said the boy was carrying a bag of fish when he was bitten three times - once on the right arm, and above and below his right knee.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/9242971.htm?1c

comment : this happened very close to my location, funny how it made national news

[Warpy]

1. Corporate news is desperate for filler

so they can cut down on reporting the DNC.

[parasim]

2. if it bleeds, it leads

i thought pet tigers were going to be the stars of this summer's attack stories, though.
shark attacks are so summer of '01...

[msmcghee]

3. Something is screwy here.

Was he standing in the water while fishing and "carrying a bag of fish" at the same time? How (or why) does one do that.

Trout? Certainly he must have been fishing for Sea Trout which live in saltwater - unless Texas has somehow bred a freshwater shark. In Texas, "trout" probably means Sea Trout - but for most of the rest of the world, a freshwater lake or stream is envisioned.

I guess the waters around Houston/Galveston are polluted enough that such a mutant shark could have appeared.

What kind of training are they giving journalists these days? I'd think a junior high school newspaper could have done a better job.


:eyes:

[BaysideLiberal]

4. Spotted sea trout

Spotted seatrout or "speckled trout"

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/specinfo/strout/strout.htm

[FlaGranny]

6. Do a Google

search for "New Jersey shark attacks." You will see that sharks DO indeed swim up into fresh water and remain there for short time periods, but this attack took place in the Gulf. :)

[bleedingheart]

5. ...so you hold a bag of dead, possibly bleeding fish and a shark

bites you?

hmmm...I don't think it would be a good idea to do that.

I hope the young man recovers fully.

[Bridget Burke]

7. Vibrio infections: A bigger danger in the Gulf

Recently, there have been several instances of people contacting Vibrio from the Gulf. Don't get in the water if you have cuts or scratches. Results can be the famous "flesh eating virus."

www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou040722_cn_vibriofollow.23d4065.html

And stay away from oysters in months without an R!