Tourist hospitalized after terrifying attack at Florida beach: 'Severe lacerations to the upper arm area'

A French Canadian is recovering from a shark bite in Florida, according to USA Today.

What's happening?

A tourist in his 40s suffered "severe lacerations to the upper arm area," said Hollywood Fire Rescue and Beach Safety's Chai Kauffman, per USA Today. He was in the area visiting friends and family.

At the time of the attack, he was in chest-deep water with a friend. Following the bite, he was able to make it back to shore. Beach visitors provided him with aid until an ambulance arrived.

While this tourist was minding his own business, others have antagonized sharks, leading to truly brutal results.

Why are shark attacks important?

Shark attacks are incredibly rare. There have been 38 shark bites on humans in 2025 so far, 12 of which were in the U.S., 7 of which were in Florida, Tracking Sharks revealed. Only eight of the global attacks have been fatal. This has been a slight uptick compared to previous years, but the numbers are still small.

While sharks have a threatening reputation, they play a major ecosystem role. As apex predators, they keep prey species in check. Without sharks, those populations could explode and overrun delicate marine ecosystems, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explained.

Shark populations are actually in decline. Overfishing, poaching, and habitat degradation are some of the primary drivers for this drop. Naturally slow birth rates combined with these downward pressures have resulted in an 80% drop in shark populations between 1975 and 2009, Mongabay reported.

What's being done about shark attacks?

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has a series of safety tips to lower the odds of shark encounters.

These tips include staying in groups, avoiding being in the water at night or twilight, not wearing shiny jewelry, and minimizing excessive splashing.

As for shark populations, researchers are taking local action by increasing tagging efforts to monitor population numbers and movement trends. This data can better inform protection measures.

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