In spite of all our differences, the one thing that binds all living creatures is that we each have an expiration date. This finality to our existence is what makes life special, something to be cherished and protected. But occasionally things can go terribly wrong…
A shark attacked and killed a 16-year-old boy Tuesday while he and a friend were bodyboarding off Australia’s east coast. Peter Edmonds was about 50 yards from shore when the shark attacked. Edmonds suffered two large bites, one to his leg and one to his chest. He died from extreme blood loss while lifeguards and paramedics frantically tried to save him.
It was the first fatal shark attack in Australia in two years. In spite of all the media attention, shark attacks are extremely rare. You are three times more likely to be struck by lightning than to be bitten by a shark, and thousands of times more likely to be killed while driving to the beach. There are an average of 32 shark attacks per year in U.S. waters, with only 11 fatalities between 1990 and 2004.
