Shark attacks had always been the problem of surfers — who becomes the usual victims — and occasional beach-goers. Since 2000, there have been more reported attacks on East Coast compared to other coasts, according to the data from Global Shark Attack File.
President of the Shark Research Committee and Director of the Global Shark Attack File Ralph Collier said that in the West Coast, most shark species are found in deep waters, while sharks in the East Coast feed on shallow waters, The National Geographic reported.
Not all shark attack victims live to tell the tale. Elinor Dempsey, a surfer from Los Oslos, was one of the few who survived without being wounded.
East Coast may have been known for this kind of incident, but the attack on Dempsey happened at Morro Strand State Beach in California, on Saturday. According to The Tribune, she was reportedly on the water for about 35 minutes when she saw a what-she-thought was dolphin approaching.
The estimated 7 to 8 feet long shark reportedly landed on her surfboard and bit it.
"That was the freaky part," Dempsey said, "when I started swimming in and not knowing what was going on behind me in the water. I wasn't thinking much, except, 'Shit, I better get in!'"
Earlier, a 15-year-old surfer, named Dylan Peyton, was attacked on Aug. 20 at the Murrells Inlet near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Unlike Dempsey, the boy needed to undergo a surgery on his injured hand.
The shark attack happened in a shallow water, while he was rinsing his hair in between surf sets. The shark bit his leg and hand, AOL reported.
"I grabbed his nose and ripped him off my leg and he bit me in the hand," said Dylan, "I don't remember much else after that," said the teenage surfer. The doctors and nurses on the beach reportedly took care of the boy.
Both survivors had one thing in common. They will not let the shark attack experience stop them from going back to the water and do the thing they like the most — surfing.
