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11/18/2000 Colin Shadforth (Florida)

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British tourist recuperates from shark attack off Florida

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British tourist recuperates from shark attack off Florida
posted 11/18/00

:reporting from Sarasota Florida

BONITA SPRINGS -- A British tourist was recuperating Saturday from a shark bite that inflicted numerous wounds to his right leg, requiring more than 100 stitches to close.

Colin Shadforth, of Lincolnshire, England, had at least 30 wounds on his calf, said Dr. William Burkey at Lee Memorial Hospital where Shadforth was treated Friday.

“It clamped down on me and wouldn’t let go,” said Shadforth, 73, a retired general practitioner who has been a visitor to the southwest Florida Gulf Coast for 23 years.

Shadforth was swimming at Bonita Beach.

“It was a hell of a pain and it didn’t stop,” Shadforth said. “I was kicking and kicking.”

He said he tried to get a look at the attacker, but the water was murky and he could only see what he described as a 4- to 5-foot fish.

After a short struggle he gave one big kick with all his might. It worked, and Shadforth paddled ashore and began yelling for help.

“Blood was all over,” said Joan McGrath, 42, a vacationer from Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Paramedic Bill Richardson said he counted three to four puncture wounds that were severe and a tear in ShadforthÂ’s calf muscle.

Bob Hueter, director of Mote Marine LaboratoryÂ’s Center for Shark Research at Sarasota, said it probably was a small sharpnose or blacktip shark seen along the Gulf Coast beaches.

“They’re never fatal, but they’re always kind of nasty,” Hueter said.

George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack file, doesnÂ’t think Shadforth was the target.

“More than likely, it was going after the splashing that it thought was from a normal prey item, grabbed on, and let go. It decided, ’That’s not what I’m after,’ and was gone.” ...

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11/18/2000 Colin Shadforth (Florida)

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Tourist recuperates from shark attack

BONITA SPRINGS -- A British tourist was recuperating Saturday from a shark bite that inflicted numerous wounds to his right leg, requiring more than 100 stitches to close.

Colin Shadforth, 73, of Lincolnshire, England, had at least 30 wounds on his calf, said Dr. William Burkey at Lee Memorial Hospital where Shadforth was treated Friday.

Shadforth was swimming at Bonita Beach. He said he tried to get a look at the attacker, but the water was murky and he could only see what he described as a 4- to 5-foot fish.

After a short struggle he gave one big kick with all his might. It worked, and Shadforth paddled ashore and began yelling for help.

Paramedic Bill Richardson said he counted three to four puncture wounds that were severe.


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