U.S.

Shark Kills Florida Swimmer

A shark expert working with the medical examiner here confirms that the terrible wounds that killed a 69-year-old swimmer were in fact caused by a shark.

In an interview with CBS News Early Show Co-Anchor Jane Clayson, George Burgess of the Florida Museum of Natural History says it was probably a bull shark, which along with the tiger shark and the white shark, are the sharks most often involved in attacks on humans.

Thadeus Kubinski was attacked at about 4 p.m. Wednesday, while swimming with his wife, Anna, as they did daily, in shallow waters near their home in Boca Ciega Bay. The couple's son, Edward, says they were about ten feet away from the dock when she suddenly noticed her husband struggling with something and saw a dorsal fin she said was just like a scene from Jaws.

Anna Kubinski ran for help, screaming, but emergency workers arriving on the scene found her husband already dead, with injuries stretching from his thigh to his shoulders.

AP Photo
Thadeus Kubinski, seen
here in a 1998 photo with
his wife, Anna, who was
swimming with him Wednesday
when he was attacked
by a shark.

St. Pete Beach Fire Chief Fred Golliner tells CBS News that such attacks are rare. "The last attack in our area, that was fatal, was in 1981," says Golliner. He calls Wednesday's attack an "isolated incident" which does not warrant a ban on swimming.

Experts say the shark most likely came in close to shore to chase food fish, and was provoked to attack by the sound of the swimmers splashing in the water.

There have been 32 shark attacks so far this year in the U.S., 22 of them in Florida.

There are a few things you can do to reduce your chances of being attacked by a shark:

Swim in groups, since sharks are more likely to attack a person swimming alone.
Don't wander too far from shore – this can isolate an individual, making an attack more likely. It also reduces your chances of getting help if you are attacked.
Avoid swimming at twilight or at night, when sharks are most active and have a competitive sensory advantage.
Don't go in the water if you have any open wounds or have been bleeding – sharks have an acute sense of smell.
Don't wear shiny jewelry – the reflected light resembles the sheen of scales on fish, an exciting sight to a shark.
Don't swim in waters that you know contain sewage or bait from commercial fishermen. If you see birds diving in the water, that's a sign that organic waste is present. To a shark, you're just one more piece of organic matter.
Don't believe the myth that if you see porpoises in the water, that there are no sharks around. The two frequently feed in the same waters.
Use extra caution in murky aters; avoid uneven tanning; and don't wear bright-colored clothing. All three of these are risk factors because a shark's eye is particularly good at seeing contrast.
Don't splash around more than you need to, and don't allow pets in the water: erratic movements can provoke an attack.
Avoid areas between sandbars and near steep dropoffs – these are favorite hangouts for sharks.
Don't harass a shark if you see one.
Don't go in the water if sharks are known to be present and do get out of the water, as calmly and smoothly as possible, if while in the water, you find out that a shark has been seen in the area.

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