Swimmer bitten by bull shark at Florida marina dock

On the afternoon of August 7, 2007, Ashley Silverman, a 19-year-old visitor from Jacksonville, jumped into the water at Bud n' Mary's Sportsfishing Marina in Islamorada, Florida, to cool off. The marina, located at 79851 Overseas Highway on Lignumvitae Key in Monroe County, caters to sport fishermen and is known to have active shark populations in its waters. Silverman's encounter was sudden and severe. She later described the initial moment as feeling like she had been struck by a boat propeller, unaware of what had happened until she saw blood in the water and pieces of flesh. Her boyfriend, 27-year-old Christopher Wood, heard her screams and immediately jumped into the water to assist, pulling her to safety. The injury was significant. Silverman sustained deep lacerations to the middle inside of her forearm, measuring approximately 25 centimeters long and 6 centimeters wide. She lost roughly two pints of blood. Plastic surgeon Dr. Randy Miller, who examined the wound, determined it was consistent with a shark bite based on the characteristic inward-directed tooth impressions typical of shark dentition. He indicated the bite was likely from a bull shark approximately 10 feet in length. Paramedics transported Silverman first to Mariner's Hospital in Tavernier, then airlifted her to Baptist Hospital in Kendall, where she underwent extensive surgical intervention lasting approximately 12 hours to repair nerve and blood vessel damage. The incident occurred at a busy marina where staff had previously reported recent bull shark sightings to visitors, highlighting the inherent risks of water entry in areas with active shark populations.