Researcher bitten by shark

MIAMI (WSVN) -- A researcher from FIU has been rushed to the hospital after being bitten by a shark at Everglades National Park.

The 29-year-old victim, along with two other FIU shark researchers, were in a boat in the mouth of Shark River near Bailey Key, just west of the Florida Keys, Wednesday afternoon.

The victim ushered a six-foot lemon shark to the boat when the shark bit him on his left forearm.

The other two researchers applied basic first aid to the victim after the shark bite; when they returned to the Flamingo Marina, park rangers administered additional first aid to the bite.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue airlifted the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he remains in stable condition.

According to officials, the bite cannot be considered an attack, since the victim was conducting research. Linda Friar of Everglades National Park said, "You never know when you're dealing with wild animals, whether they're in the water or on land, how they may respond to research. Usually, they're very cautious and careful. What they do with the shark research, from what I understand, is they bring the shark close to the boat and they try and measure them for size. I don't know exactly what they were doing at the time, but this particular shark, apparently, did not appreciate it."

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