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Sharks Sink Shrimping Boat

by rollinoffset | February 6, 2007 at 07:25 pm | 850 views | 4 comments

Ineresting little story that I just stumbled upon. I've never heard of any sharks acting like this before.

"FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. -- A crew aboard a shrimping boat were rescued after a group of bull sharks rammed and bit the vessel until it eventually sank off the Florida coast, according to an Associated Press report.

Captain Roger Schmall said a group of sharks had been slamming into the Christy Nichole's hull for four days. But then a 14-foot bull shark broke the boat's tail shaft, leaving Schmall and his crew of two adrift about 100 miles off the coast.

Schmall radioed for help, and another vessel picked the crew up about two hours later. Schmall remained aboard his ship to pump water out while the other boat pulled it back to land. He said it was working for a couple of hours, but the waves eventually took their toll on Schmall's boat and the boat sank. "

http://www.local6.com/news/10942485/detail.html

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rollinoffset

at 19:29 on February 6th, 2007

As a side note: When do we IE user get our highlight button. My cut/paste fu is weak.

Actual News Geezer

at 19:39 on February 6th, 2007

We're working on it.

jordan

at 19:31 on February 6th, 2007

good stuff:

At NowPublic, this is high praise from NowPublic editors! Your story is now on the home page for awhile, and everywhere else the “good stuff” box shows up.

Follow up to whatever extent you can, as this is a fascinating story.

Many thanks for your great work.

rollinoffset

at 20:11 on February 6th, 2007

UPDATE:

Seems an on the scene reporter for the Fort Meyer's Beach Observer has a different take on the story.

"At approximately 3:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, Captain Roger Schnall’s shrimp boat “Christy Nicole” hit an object that would later cause the boat to sink.
Schnall said the problem began when the boat hit what he thinks was a ten to 13 foot shark. Schnall said the boat was about 85 miles south of Fort Myers Beach when the incident happened. “We had a lot of the sharks following us for three or four days before the accident. They were tracking us like hunters,” Schnall said of the sharks.
“I assume that we hit one and it broke the tail shaft, and it snapped in two.”

Schnall said the increased winds and rough seas caused the motor’s propeller to rip off and come through the boat sideways, making another hole.
“We probably could have fought the water, but then the weather got bad and the seas jarred the propeller and it came out sideways, into the boat.” "

http://www.fort-myers-beach-observer.com/News/articles.asp?articleID=3707

Looks like the real story here is sensationalistic journalism.