Incident Report
Swimmer Bitten on Hand at Jensen Beach, Florida
A 50-year-old man swimming approximately 100 yards offshore at Jensen Beach sustained hand lacerations in an unprovoked shark encounter. He was rescued by nearby lifeguards and transported to a local hospital for treatment.
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Incident Profile
Circumstances
Environmental
Individual
Location
Description
On the afternoon of April 4, 2013, a 50-year-old male swimmer was injured in an unprovoked shark encounter in the Atlantic Ocean off Jensen Beach in Martin County, Florida. The incident occurred at approximately 1:05 p.m. in waters about 100 yards from shore, an area where the victim regularly swam. According to lifeguard Dan Lund of Martin County Ocean Rescue, the man was calling for help with his hand raised in the air when the encounter occurred. An off-duty lifeguard from Palm Beach County who was surfing nearby reached the victim first, providing assistance before Lund arrived with a rescue board. Together they brought the swimmer to shore. The victim sustained lacerations to his hand and was transported by Martin County Fire Rescue to Martin Memorial Medical Center for medical evaluation and treatment. Weather conditions at the time included overcast skies, visibility of seven miles, and air temperatures around 82°F. The water was reportedly murky near shore, though it cleared further out. Witnesses noted that dolphins had been feeding in the area that morning. As a precautionary measure, Jensen Beach was closed for the remainder of Thursday, April 4, 2013, but reopened the following day. According to local ocean rescue officials, shark activity at Jensen Beach typically peaks between November and March, with some additional activity occurring in September during mullet runs.