Gardens woman bitten by shark off Jupiter beach
November 16th, 2009 by TCPalm.comJUPITER — Pat Hardcastle worried when her daughter drove up to New Smyrna Beach to surf.
“The shark heaven,” says Hardcastle. “She used to go up there all the time.”
But it was in the water behind the Jupiter Reef Club where Melissa Hardcastle had her first shark encounter.
The 27-year old was surfing Friday afternoon when something chomped down on her foot.
Her mother says she never saw the shark but knew what it was immediately.
“She’s got some marks. She’s lucky to have her foot, but she’s good, very good,” says Hardcastle.
Melissa never saw the shark, only felt it. Her mother says she grabbed the board and rode the waves to shore.
Lifeguards treated her there until paramedics could transport her to the emergency room.
Melissa underwent surgery Saturday morning.
Her mother says doctors needed to clean out any bacteria and sand in the wounds.
Pat expects her daughter will be back in the water one day. She loves surfing too much to be scared off by a shark.
CAROLYN SCOFIELD, TCPalm.com
Tags: jupiter beach, lifeguards, shark attack, surf, surgery
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November 17th, 2009 at 10:32 am
[...] Gardens woman bitten by shark off Jupiter beach Suspected bank robber caught quickly in Jensen Beach [...]
November 17th, 2009 at 11:05 am
People say you have a better chance of dying by a soda machine falling on you. I’ll take my chance with the soda machine. I ain’t going in the water !
November 17th, 2009 at 11:06 am
We must remember to tell all the tourist, especially New Yorkers and Canadians if they see a shark in the water “splash like hell” it will scare it off.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:24 am
for all the people who wish harm on any one shame on you,we need to be smarter than that we are in need to all stand together north or south for our country now. coming from a cracker as well i would like to say thank you new yorkers for spending all your money here it helps our beautiful state and children in school and so on.but if you are rich like some natives obviously you dont need it and you are just angry not i.keep it coming and my retirement will be closer than ever.just a smart old cracker who has brains and stable work. see ya all later yee haw! go dolphins
November 17th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
HELLO PEOPLE!!! THAT IS THE RISK YOU TAKE SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN. THAT IS THERE HOME NOT OURS!
November 17th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
LMAO @ Native.
February 4th, 2010 at 8:27 am
Wow, I agree with you, the ocean is the shark’s home, not ours, we use their home for our entertainment. We Party in Their House and that’s the chance you take. We really don’t realize how many sharks are in the water so close to shore till the reporters film them and show us. Be careful out there, respect the shark’s home.