Shark attack cases
There aren't many shark attacks, but they're so appalling that they make the news every time, which makes it seem that people always remember such attacks. In addition, many movies about shark attacks also give people's memories a better shelf life.
But it has to be denied that shark attacks are increasing, which is caused by many factors. According to the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack Archive, there were five known deadly shark attacks worldwide in 2022.
Most shark attacks are caused by sharks mistaking their identities. A study published in 2021 highlighted that from the bottom of the sea, the shadow of a surfer is really difficult to distinguish from the shark's favorite prey, the seal, and then the shark attacks. But most of the time, sharks quickly realize it's a person, not a seal, and leave, with most victims dying from massive blood loss after the attack.
But recently, an Australian man was attacked by the same shark three times in a row, which is obviously "atypical".
Unlucky man
On May 14, Simon Barcanello, a 46-year-old teacher, was on holiday to surf off the coast of South Australia, but he did not know that this surfing was his last and even pressed the shutdown button for his life.
According to the account of eyewitness Jaiden Miller, Simon Barcanello was on the surface of the sea with a dozen surfers preparing to meet the waves, when his whole body was lying on the surfboard, when suddenly his surfboard was dragged underwater, Simon Barcanello quickly surfaced. But then he disappeared again, and witnesses noticed the shark fluttering where he had just been, and the blood quickly stained the waters; Simon Barcanello then surfaced for the second time, but the sharks chased him and attacked him a third time, this time Simon Barcanello never appeared again.
South Australian police quickly launched an investigation and issued a statement the following day, on May 15, in which they said emergency services had failed to locate the victim but had found a wetsuit and several pieces of white polystyrene, the material of the surfboard, which they speculated had died: the victim, Simon Barcanello, was dead.
Unusual attack
Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Shark Studies Program at the Florida Museum, said: "It is atypical for sharks to attack the same person multiple times in a row, but it is indeed not incomprehensible.
He said multiple attacks are possible, depending on the species involved, regardless of whether the motive for the attack was territorial defense or predation. For example, the attack method of the great white shark is to attack the prey by surprise, and then wait for the prey to slowly become weak due to bleeding before returning, so as to ensure that the shark itself will not be counterattacked by the prey.
In addition, the emotional state of the animal can also affect its aggressiveness and whether they will attack multiple times. Gavin Naylor believes that if a shark is in a state of excitement, or if there are many sharks in the area, fighting for limited food and causing it to be emotionally stressed, these may make them more aggressive.
But this time the shark continued to attack Simon Barcanello for reasons that cannot be determined, at least try to find his body first.
Simon Barcanello is the second person in Australia to be killed by a shark bite this year. On February 4, 16-year-old Stella Berry was killed by a bull shark while swimming in the Swan River in Western Australia.