San Diego Shark Attack

Here is the story from the Associated Press found on Yahoo by Allison Hoffman: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080426/ap_on_re_us/shark_attack_16.

Not to be too graphic but, and I quote, “(Dave) Martin, 66, died on the beach Friday morning after a shark, presumed to be a great white, lifted him out of the water with his legs in its jaws, leaving deep lacerations and shredding Martin's black wetsuit.”

Not a good way to go.

As a note Gentle Reader, when I go I want it to be peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather; not screaming in terror like the other passengers of the bus he was driving.

…Sorry.

I truly do not mean to sound glib at the death of Mr. Martin a tri-athlete who was training with other competitors and had his family and friends cheering him on from the shore when tragedy struck. Just clicking through the pictures truly makes you grieve for those left behind. Reading between the lines and clicking thorough the pictures Mr. Martin appears to have been a pretty dynamic man.

There is just something visceral about a shark attack. It cuts to the core of our fear of the unknown and our will to survive. No matter what the statistics are the fact still remains that you never really know what lies beneath. As was written on the first oceanic maps, “Here There Be Monsters.” Ms. Hoffman reports that, “Overall, shark attacks are extremely rare. There were 71 reported worldwide last year, up from 63 in 2006. Only one attack, in the South Pacific, was fatal, according to the University of Florida. The university's International Shark Attack File has counted an average of 4.1 people killed by sharks annually worldwide in the past seven years.”

4.1? That “Point One”, must be like being a “little pregnant”.

As with many areas in life we must accept the fact that there are sharks in the water. We can choose to stay on the shore for the rest of our days or we can accept the risk, and enjoy the discovery of the waves and the water. Some things you just can’t change and knowing “what lies beneath” is one of those things but I don’t think that should stop us from swimming.

Now where did I put my trunks?