MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A 31-year-old man was bitten in the leg by a black tip shark near 10th Street on South Beach, according to Miami Beach officials.
Video on social media shows the man lying on the sand near the iconic pink lifeguard stand while Miami Beach Ocean Rescue lifeguards tend to his right leg, which was kept elevated.
One witness, who did not want to be identified, said he saw the shark’s fin in the water and then the man, frantically swimming away from it.
“He walked out of the water, bleeding, with at least 6 bite marks on him,” the witness said. “Suddenly he came out of the water. He fell down.”
Paramedics transported the victim to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital as a precaution.
Surfers, anglers, and locals say October is prime time for the running of mullet and baitfish, which attract predators like sharks. According to a Miami Beach spokesperson, double red flags have been flying at lifeguard stands between 5th and 15th Streets to warn beachgoers against going into the water.