People Magazine Interview with the American Lifeguard Association on Navigating Shark Attacks
How to Prevent a Shark Attack and What to Do If Bitten? An American Lifeguard Association Expert Weighs In
Plus, shark attack survivor Paul de Gelder — who’s hosted 20 documentaries for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week — debunks common misconceptions about the fish
By Skyler Caruso, People Magazine
As famously quoted in Finding Nemo, “Fish are friends.”
However, it may be hard to generalize that statement in the wake of the numerous shark attacks that have tragically occurred to date, with a reported 54 victims in 2023 alone as of Aug. 2.
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File investigated 108 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide in 2022, confirming 57 unprovoked shark bites on humans and 32 provoked bites.
The aforementioned statistics, unfortunately, have heightened concern among beachgoers and often misconstrue the public’s perception of the triangular-toothed, pointed-fin fish.
But Shark Week presenter Paul de Gelder — an Australian Army veteran and shark attack survivor, who lost two limbs while diving for the Navy in 2009 — encourages the public to “read between the lines,” telling PEOPLE that the media tends to sensationalize when it comes to sharks attacks.
“When the media starts talking about ‘an explosion in shark attacks’ or ‘there’s a big rise in shark attacks,’ we’re talking like three or four … or maximum 10,” de Gelder explains. “Florida has had 1,866 traffic crash fatalities this year as of July. That’s a substantial number.”
While de Gelder acknowledges that shark attacks are unfortunate incidents, he stresses that the ocean “is a wild place” and “not your backyard swimming pool.” Therefore, he says “it needs to be respected as such.”
Wyatt Werneth — a lifeguard of 28 years and a public service spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association — is also sharing his expertise in an effort to encourage others to embrace the ocean, while offering tips to reduce anxiety caused by sharks.
“They don’t want to attack in the sense of a serial killer or a murderer,” Werneth — who’s currently based in Cocoa Beach, Florida — tells PEOPLE.
“They are feeding … Attack is a strong word,” he says, comparing sharks to humans eating hamburgers. “If someone put their hand in there and we bit them, we didn’t attack them. They stuck their hand in when we were biting the hamburger.”
To learn more about ways to prevent a shark attack and what to do if already bit, scroll on for Werneth and de Gelder’s advice.
Swim in the ocean near lifeguards
The safest thing for beachgoers to do if they want to swim is do so in front of lifeguards. Not only is it a safe move should you get swept up in a rip current, but guards are educated in sea life identification, so they’re trained to actively scan the water for unusual activity.
“If you’re in an area where there are lifeguards, ask questions,” Werneth tells PEOPLE. “We have these boards that we write daily things to pay attention to, like currents. We’d also write on there, ‘Sharks have been sighted.’”
Werneth also notes that most lifeguards have flag systems that alert swimmers to clear the water.
Do research on the area if there are no lifeguards present
If you want to swim at a beach where there are no lifeguards present, Werneth doesn’t discourage it — in fact, he “wants to encourage people not to be afraid of the water.” However, he stresses the importance of researching and educating yourself on the local conditions before swimming.
“How are people talking about [the area]? What are fishermen seeing and doing? You want to look around and do your education on that,” explains Werneth.
Never swim in the ocean alone
Sharks aside, Werneth emphasizes the importance of never swimming alone. But on the topic of sharks, he says having a buddy is always advisable, just in case something happens.
However, swimming in a crowd isn’t necessarily a shark deterrent. Werneth says “a lot more activity and noise” could potentially “make it more interesting” for them.
“But again, let’s go back to enjoying the ocean,” he stresses. “I don’t think we have to go into the water saying, ‘Let’s deter sharks all day!’”
If you’re in the water and spot a shark, stay calm
If you happen to be in the water and think you see a shark, Werneth says to remain calm, even though that may be difficult. “The most important thing is to know that they’re not there to attack you,” he stresses.
“They’re cruising through because they’re looking for something — and like a fisherman, want to be in the right place where the fish might be,” he says. In fact, Werneth recalled a time his daughter encountered a shark when she was swimming in the ocean.
“She was trapped between the shore and the shark was in between her and the beach,” he explains. “And she just stayed calm and we stood right there and I was prepared to do whatever needed to be done. Just cool. The shark went away and she calmly came in.”
If you are being attacked, ‘fight like hell’
In the extremely rare scenario you find yourself being attacked by a shark, Werneth says there are ways to take action if you’re able to do so. Specifically, “fight like hell” and do “anything to get it to know you’re not an easy prey,” he says.
Punching the shark in its nose or poking it in its eyes are advised; however, Werneth notes it’s important you don’t swing “anywhere near the teeth line” since they are razor sharp. “People have hit the shark in the mouth and gotten cut on the hand,” he says.
Werneth also says to “punch them in the gills” if the shark is attacking you. This will irritate their breathing, and hopefully cause them to release and swim away.
Now if you’re bit and “still got the fight in you,” Werneth says “to put direct pressure on the bleeding, get out of the water, put a tourniquet on it and call 911” if a lifeguard isn’t already on the scene. “Get EMS rolling or get to the hospital as soon as possible.”
He continues, “Your biggest concern is having an artery ruptured or bleeding out. So, you want to get direct pressure or tourniquet on above the wound.”
Full story: https://people.com/how-to-prevent-a-shark-attack-according-to-an-expert-7569064
