STUART, Florida - A man kite surfing off a Florida beach died Wednesday after being surrounded and attacked by sharks. The Martin County Sheriff's Office said a lifeguard first saw the man in distress at 4:15 p.m. about 500 yards from shore near Stuart, on the Atlantic coast. Lifeguard Daniel Lund said he first spotted the man, later identified as Howard Schafer, 38, from his tower and he could tell the kiteboarder was in trouble. He said Schafer was lying on the large sail he was using to pull himself across the water.
Lund grabbed his long surfboard and paddled 20 minutes through rough seas, fighting 4- to 6-feet-high waves, to reach Schafer about a quarter-mile offshore. "I get to him, I'm probably within 20 yards or so from him, and there's just a lot of blood in the water," Lund said. He could see several sharks circling nearby. He pulled the injured Schafer onto his board and began paddling back. Lund declined to describe Schafer's injuries, but said he was conscious and speaking when they got to the beach and paramedics began treating him. Paramedics took Schafer to a hospital, where he later died.
Daniel Wouters, of Martin County Fire Rescue, told ABC-affiliate WPBF that when he was spotted Schafer was "just hanging onto his board... not normal activity for a kite surfer." "When (lifeguards) got there, they found a number of sharks in the water and they found the victim had been bitten several times," Wouters said, according to a report on WPBF's Web site. "They were able to maneuver him onto the kite to basically somewhat protect him and bring him on shore." Jim Smith, who witnessed the rescue, told WPBF that the rescuers had done all they could. "I can't emphasize enough — they did their best. The guy just wasn't moving," he said. Friends said Schafer always followed the buddy system while surfing and were surprised he was in the water alone. "We always know that (sharks) are out there. You see them this time of the year," said Teague Taylor, a childhood friend who says Schafer taught him to surf. "It's hard to believed that such an experienced waterman would make that one mistake." Schafer, a gifted artist and graphic designer, was drawn to the water as a child. He surfed competitively and later started sailing, windsurfing and kiteboarding. Kiteboarders surf across the water on boards strapped to their feet, using large curved sails to pull them along.
"He had to be around the water," said Taylor, who manages a local surf shop. "I've never heard of multiple sharks in this area surrounding someone and fatally wounding him," Taylor told The Palm Beach Post. Jordan Schwartz told the paper that Schafer was a very experienced kiteboard surfer and "a super nice guy, always mellow."
Shark attacks, especially fatal ones, are extremely rare, said George Burgess, a leading shark expert who directs the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida's Museum of Natural History. The file lists 1,032 attacks in the U.S. documented since 1690. Only 50 of them were fatal. "Internationally, we've been averaging four fatalities per year, despite the fact that there are billions and billions of human hours spent in the sea every year," Burgess said. "Your chances of dying in the mouth of a shark are close to infinitesimal." The last fatal shark attack in the state was in 2005 off the Florida Panhandle, where a 14-year-old Louisiana girl was attacked while swimming on a body board about 100 yards off shore. "Florida as a geographic entity has more than any other place in the world," Burgess said, noting that most attacks are minor, "the equivalent of a dog bite." However, Burgess noted that this time of year there are typically fewer shark attacks in Florida because temperatures are cooler and not as many people are in the water. He said sharks are lining "up in South Florida getting ready to move north" as temperatures begin to warm. "The sharks gradually move their way northward and disperse," Burgess said. "The message to take home is this is a rare and unusual event. It should put the antennae up for people, in terms of, 'Yeah, we need to be careful when we enter the sea, but we need to do that every time because we're never guaranteed safety 100 percent of the time when we enter a wild world.'"
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Behold, The World's Tallest Model
Talk about a big splash! An American model measuring 205 cm (she's about 6'9") is set to be featured on the cover of Australian magazine Zoo Weekly.
You think you've seen it all. The model, named Eve, appears on the cover of the magazine's current issue alongside a 162 cm-tall (5'3") Aussie model.
On Seinfeld, George Constanza dreamed of one day sleeping with a giant woman. But George was a short, bald fella. To him, tall meant about 5'11".
Eve is truly head and shoulders above the other models out there.
"No other magazine has put a woman who's nearly seven feel tall on the cover," editor Paul Merrill said, and he's probably correct in that assumption.
"We had ... her bikini specially made, but it was worth it."
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Haiti Earthquake Original Video
Security cameras at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince record the Haiti earthquake on 12 January as the ground starts to shake and a building in the distance crumbles to the ground.
Video provided to us courtesy U.S. State Department
Video provided to us courtesy U.S. State Department
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Jay Leno Show Ends
NBC affiliates are pleased over Jay Leno’s exit from prime-time television, and are hoping that replacement shows can draw higher ratings.
“The Jay Leno Show” had been touted by NBC as the future of television–although the program was expected to draw lower ratings than scripted shows, it cost less to produce. Now that experiment is over, clearing the way for more dramas, comedies and news programs in the time slot.
NBC affiliates had been grumbling about the low ratings of “The Jay Leno Show” at 10 p.m. and that the program was bringing down the ratings for the shows that followed it, including local news shows and “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.”
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Casey Johnson Death Linked to Diabetes
Casey Johnson, heiress to the Johnson and Johnson fortune and Tila Tequila's fiance died yesterday evening at her LA home, and although the cause of death has not yet been determined, Casey Johnson did have a history of diabetic comas and there is some talk that this could have contributed to her death.
Casey Johnson's autopsy has now been completed but the cause of death is still pending toxicology tests. The LA County Coroner has stated that there were no signs on trauma on Casey's body and foul play is not suspected.
Insulin needles were found in Casey's home however, but there has been no official cause of death at this time.
Casey Johnson was diagnosed with diabetes at eight years old and she was involved in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the hopes to find a cure.
Before her death on January 4th, Casey Johnson had twice fallen in to a diabetic coma and had to be taken to hospital at least once.
Casey Johnson's autopsy has now been completed but the cause of death is still pending toxicology tests. The LA County Coroner has stated that there were no signs on trauma on Casey's body and foul play is not suspected.
Insulin needles were found in Casey's home however, but there has been no official cause of death at this time.
Casey Johnson was diagnosed with diabetes at eight years old and she was involved in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the hopes to find a cure.
Before her death on January 4th, Casey Johnson had twice fallen in to a diabetic coma and had to be taken to hospital at least once.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Rush Limbaugh Taken to Hawaii Hospital
HONOLULU -- Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh was taken to a hospital with chest pains on Wednesday, a Honolulu television station reported.
Paramedics responded to a call at 2:41 p.m. from the Kahala Hotel and Resort where Limbaugh is vacationing, KITV reported. The station, citing unnamed sources, said the 58-year-old Limbaugh was taken to The Queens Medical Center in serious condition.
Queens spokeswoman N. Makana Shook says the hospital is unable to comment on the report.
Emergency Medical Services spokesman Bryan Cheplic said paramedics took a male of unknown age to an area hospital from the Kahala Hotel and Resort. He said he had no further information.
Limbaugh was seen golfing at Waialae Country Club earlier this week, KITV said. The country club is next to the Kahala hotel.
For privacy reasons, hotel spokeswoman Sheila Donnelly Theroux said she was unable to acknowledge that Limbaugh is a guest.
In 2001, Limbaugh reported he had lost most of his hearing due to an autoimmune inner-ear disease. He had surgery to have an electronic device placed in his skull to restore his hearing.
Two years later Limbaugh acknowledged he was addicted to pain medicine. He blamed the addiction on severe back pain, and took a five-week leave from his radio show to enter rehab.
Paramedics responded to a call at 2:41 p.m. from the Kahala Hotel and Resort where Limbaugh is vacationing, KITV reported. The station, citing unnamed sources, said the 58-year-old Limbaugh was taken to The Queens Medical Center in serious condition.
Queens spokeswoman N. Makana Shook says the hospital is unable to comment on the report.
Emergency Medical Services spokesman Bryan Cheplic said paramedics took a male of unknown age to an area hospital from the Kahala Hotel and Resort. He said he had no further information.
Limbaugh was seen golfing at Waialae Country Club earlier this week, KITV said. The country club is next to the Kahala hotel.
For privacy reasons, hotel spokeswoman Sheila Donnelly Theroux said she was unable to acknowledge that Limbaugh is a guest.
In 2001, Limbaugh reported he had lost most of his hearing due to an autoimmune inner-ear disease. He had surgery to have an electronic device placed in his skull to restore his hearing.
Two years later Limbaugh acknowledged he was addicted to pain medicine. He blamed the addiction on severe back pain, and took a five-week leave from his radio show to enter rehab.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Actress Brittany Murphy Dies Unexpectedly at Age 32
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Brittany Murphy, who starred in such films as "Just Married" and "Uptown Girls" but saw her fortunes fade in recent years, died on Sunday, officials said. She was 32.
A spokeswoman at the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office told Reuters that it had been informed of her death by officials at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but had no other information.
The Los Angeles Times said Murphy was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai after going into cardiac arrest. A spokesman for the Los Angeles City Fire Department said officers responded to an emergency call at her home in West Hollywood at 8 a.m. PST.
Her death was first reported by online gossip site TMZ which said Murphy's mother, Sharon, found her unconscious in her shower.
Murphy had been reduced to starring in low-budget indie movies in recent years, most recently the thriller "Across the Hall," which opened in one theater each in New York and Los Angeles two weeks ago.
Earlier this month, reports circulated that she was fired from the movie "The Caller," which is filming in Puerto Rico. Her publicist said the split was "creative differences." When she and her husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, returned to Los Angeles, he fell unconscious on the plane and was rushed to hospital.
Murphy had recently been photographed in an emaciated state at public events.
Murphy seemed destined for big things in the 1990s, thanks to roles in such films as the satires Clueless" (1995) and "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999), as well as in "Girl, Interrupted," for which Angelina Jolie received an Oscar in 2000.
She appeared opposite Michael Douglas in the 2001 thriller "Don't Say A Word," and played Eminem's love interest in the 2002 hit "8 Mile."
The following year, she co-starred with Ashton Kutcher in the romantic comedy "Just Married" and with Dakota Fanning in "Uptown Girls." But the movies failed to generate much commercial or critical heat.
Murphy enjoyed more enduring success on the small screen, providing the voice of the vacuous Texan Luanne Platter in the cartoon series "King of the Hill." She also voiced a penguin in the 2006 box office hit "Happy Feet."
(Source: Reuters)
A spokeswoman at the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office told Reuters that it had been informed of her death by officials at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but had no other information.
The Los Angeles Times said Murphy was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai after going into cardiac arrest. A spokesman for the Los Angeles City Fire Department said officers responded to an emergency call at her home in West Hollywood at 8 a.m. PST.
Her death was first reported by online gossip site TMZ which said Murphy's mother, Sharon, found her unconscious in her shower.
Murphy had been reduced to starring in low-budget indie movies in recent years, most recently the thriller "Across the Hall," which opened in one theater each in New York and Los Angeles two weeks ago.
Earlier this month, reports circulated that she was fired from the movie "The Caller," which is filming in Puerto Rico. Her publicist said the split was "creative differences." When she and her husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, returned to Los Angeles, he fell unconscious on the plane and was rushed to hospital.
Murphy had recently been photographed in an emaciated state at public events.
Murphy seemed destined for big things in the 1990s, thanks to roles in such films as the satires Clueless" (1995) and "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999), as well as in "Girl, Interrupted," for which Angelina Jolie received an Oscar in 2000.
She appeared opposite Michael Douglas in the 2001 thriller "Don't Say A Word," and played Eminem's love interest in the 2002 hit "8 Mile."
The following year, she co-starred with Ashton Kutcher in the romantic comedy "Just Married" and with Dakota Fanning in "Uptown Girls." But the movies failed to generate much commercial or critical heat.
Murphy enjoyed more enduring success on the small screen, providing the voice of the vacuous Texan Luanne Platter in the cartoon series "King of the Hill." She also voiced a penguin in the 2006 box office hit "Happy Feet."
(Source: Reuters)
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