Man Dies After Shark Attack Off Fla. Coast

Austrian Diver Bitten In Waters That Had Been Baited With Bloody Fish Parts To Lure Sharks

(AP)  An Austrian tourist died Monday after being bitten by a shark while diving near the Bahamas in waters that had been baited with bloody fish parts to attract the predators.

Markus Groh, 49, a Vienna lawyer and diving enthusiast, was on a commercial dive trip Sunday when he was bitten about 50 miles off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, said Karlick Arthur, Austrian counsel general in Miami.

The crew aboard the Shear Water, of Riviera Beach-based Scuba Adventures, immediately called the U.S. Coast Guard, which received a mayday from the vessel, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Nick Ameen.

Groh was airlifted to a hospital, where he died. Groh was bitten on the leg, Ameen said, but he could not be more specific about the extent of his injuries.

It was unclear what type of shark was involved in the attack. The shark got away before anyone could identify the species.

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation by the Miami-Dade Police Department. A telephone message left for police was not immediately returned.

A woman who answered the telephone at Scuba Adventures on Monday said the company had no comment.

The company's Web site says it offers the opportunity to get "face to face" with sharks. The site explains that its hammerhead and tiger shark expeditions in the Bahamas are "unique shark trips ... run exclusively for shark enthusiasts and photographers."

To ensure "the best results we will be 'chumming' the water with fish and fish parts," the Web site explains. "Consequently, there will be food in the water at the same time as the divers. Please be aware that these are not 'cage' dives, they are open water experiences."

[nwihoosier]

Peace and Love
veteran71, most of the people that post inane remarks here have no idea what you''re talking about.
On the other hand, I think it was FUNNY in a wierd sort of way!
Peace and Love

[missut2]

I believe the diver was from Austria....not Australia...How stupid are these people that they would go into waters with bloody fish parts knowing sharks will be swimming around???
My condolences to his family.......

[aeasus]

Sad story for the people who knew him. My condolences.

This does help prove Darwin''s 5th Law of Evolution however.

[bm6005]

..How stupid are these people that they would go into waters with bloody fish parts knowing sharks will be swimming around???....
Posted by MissUT2

The bloody parts are used to draw the sharks so the diver(s) can observe them!

[pensacola88]

We lobbied the Florida Legislature to outlaw shark feeding from boats and scuba trips, because we knew that sharks would lose their fear of people and aggresively approach them for food, since their behavior habits were modified.

People created the problem and now people will pay for it....a lot of innocent ones,too!!

The next time you see a Discovery Channel video on shark feeding or frenzy behavior, just know that those films are proof that at least one shark modified their behavior and may approach a wary victim at some point in it''s future.

Viewers should refuse to support or view such videos.

Jaws was made with mechanical sharks, not real ones!

[bluestardad]

dumba$$!

[ontheleft]

''The shark got away before anyone could identify the species''

It was a terrorist shark sent by al-Qaeda. The name of the shark was Osama fin laden.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by ontheleft

LOL! Of course, Bush will order the carpet bombing of the Gobi Desert in retaliation.

[cyberus-2009]

Diving in chummed waters ....

.... whats next? Rubbing down with deer blood and running through the lion exhibit?

[antizion]

Um... That shark ate a lawyer... Good little sharky.

Save the Sharks and free swimming lessons for all lawyers!

This story is so biased. Men kill sharks everyday for a few fins but do we ever see a headline "Shark Dies After Man Attack Off Fla. Coast"

[antizion]

Diving in chummed waters ....
.... whats next? Rubbing down with deer blood and running through the lion exhibit?
Posted by cyberus at 12:42 AM : Feb 26, 2008
==========================================

That''s not O.K.?

I have to go quickly to the zoo and get the kids. See you tomorrow.

[irliberal]

Diving into water that has been baited to for sharks, man gets bitten and dies. Not rocket science folks, just Darwin at work. Nothing to see here, move on. 8-)

[louthesz9]

Why can''t the authorities, or anybody, just go out into the ocean and start hunting and spearing the sharks that''re deemed too dangerous to man? Bull sharks, tiger sharks, blue sharks, great whites, hammerheads,.... The less sharks we have in the oceans, the less chance this accident would ever happen again. It''s not that complicated.

[kajohns66]

I hope that the person below is simply being brilliantly ironic...otherwise, raging stupidity would be the only other excuse for such a comment....

[bobacorn]

Yes I agree with IRLiberal - This is kinda like sitting in a tiger cage with a sirloin in your mouth. I will say though that this company should probably be encouraged to stop feeding naive Austrian tourists to the sharks.

[squidly8]

Ye pays your money and ye takes your chances......

[zykracosmos]

There''s enough in this article to shut down the company already. It''s one thing when a scientific expedition deliberately chums the waters to study sharks, and trained researchers go into the waters entirely on their own accord, but the liability comes into play when you advertise to tourists and set up a commercial enterprise to take people into a life-threatening situation. No signed waivers will save you in court (assuming the poor chap has some relatives that want to be rich, and assuming some insurance company actually backed this ludicrous setup).

[zykracosmos]

Here''s part of Scuba Adventures'' pitch to tourists who want to get cudley with man-eaters from the "captain''s blog" on their website: "I know all the theory there is to know about shark behaviour..." and "...tiger sharks that have become personal friends..." and "...forget what you have heard or read about tiger sharks in books and in the media..." plus, "Their personalities are .. almost human" and "...not dangerous to humans..." and "...public''s irrational fear of sharks (entirely based upon myths and misconceptions)..." and "...crates packed with bait..." Jim Abernathy has done more harm to the sharks he says he wants to protect by injecting tourists into risky situations, than any Hollywood movie could do.

[tireslinger]

Who in their right mind, would get into chummed waters, without any sort of protection from the obvious, for ANY reason???!!! I guess that I''ll never grow old enough to realistically say, that I''ve seen every stupid thing that a human being can do...

[beehive21-2009]

Shark baiting should be ban.It appears the sharks want food, man gives shark food,shark happy,until shark meet man without food,then shark eats man.thru operate conditioning
man is training shark to expect food when in presents , same as Pavlos dog would saliva with the ringing of bell ,met food.What we have here folks is a classic case of operate conditioning ,bring a steak with you to the ocean for safety.

[locke10]

beehive21:
You mean classical conditioning when referring to Pavlov''s dogs, but you are correct in your sentiments.

[iceman_1960]

"Markus Groh, 49, a Vienna lawyer and diving enthusiast, was on a commercial dive trip Sunday when he was bitten about 50 miles off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, said Karlick Arthur, Austrian counsel general in Miami."
----------------

Groh is an unusual name, but two Groh"s just died in the news.

The other one was actor David Groh. You might recall him as Rhoda"s boyfriend/husband in the old Valerie Harper sitcom "Rhoda." He just died Feb. 12.

He was not killed by a shark, though. That really would have been weird.

[iceman_1960]

"It was unclear what type of shark was involved in the attack. The shark got away before anyone could identify the species."
--------------

It may have been a card shark.

There are quite a few members of this rapacious species in the Fort Lauderdale area. They often prey on unsuspecting tourists.

[extremophil]

To ensure "the best results we will be ''chumming'' the water..." How about just smearing Alpo in your armpits and jump into a hole full of dobermans? It''s cheaper, anyway. Darwins law strikes again.

[jettskiman]

The company''s Web site says it offers the opportunity to get "face to face" with sharks. In the really small print at the bottom where you sign it says: it really offers the oppertunity to get face to teeth with sharks.

[knyghtwolf]

How about the politicians in Washington try this instead of waterboarding as a way of gaining information? They can try it first and then get back to us and let us know if it works or not. My suggestion is to try bush, cheney, and just to be sure, perhaps hillary and/or obama? Throw in mccain just as a sort of dessert item. The results could be very enlightening?

[klingon69]

Why can''''t the authorities, or anybody, just go out into the ocean and start hunting and spearing the sharks that''''re deemed too dangerous to man? Bull sharks, tiger sharks, blue sharks, great whites, hammerheads,.... The less sharks we have in the oceans, the less chance this accident would ever happen again. It''''s not that complicated.
Posted by louthesz9 at 03:01 AM : Feb 26, 2008
Sure, then we can go into the mountains and kill all the bears, wolves and cougars. They have been known to kill people.
Why not kill off all the dangerous predators around the world. Are you for real?

[hereticzero-2009]

This sounds like a case of limited intelligence. Who in their right mind jumps into shark infested waters, leaving a perfectly good boat behind? I''ve seen these guys get in water to photo sharks feeding. This is as stupid as pushing your way into a bear feast for a close up. Why not stick your hand into a moving blender to wipe off the sides?

[ianlou]

Does anyone have a Darwin Award for this guy?
Lets hand out Honorary Darwin Awards to the Captain, Gilligan and the rest of the crew of this USS Minnow.

[georgiagrl1]

File this one under "DUH!" Who in their right mind would even consider diving with shark? Especially with the water baited to attract them. Everyone who lives near the coast in Florida knows this.

[jegibbons]

I understand that sharks are smart animals.
NO?
Okay?
Let''s, for arguement''s sake, say that this shark was only average or below average in shark intelligence.

When you put bloody fish innards in the water isn''t that like ringing the diner bell?
DON''T CONFUSE THE SHARKS! DUMMIES!
It''s not nice to fool MOTHER NATURE;dah???

[mainemade]

One shark doing what come NATURAL (eating)-vs-One thrill seeker (lawyer) dressed up like sharks favorite meal (seal). Add in lots of "chum"(fish ''parts''). Presto, one bitten lawyer (dead). Surprised? (not I).

[shucks207]

So it''s obvious sharks don''t practice professional courtesy!

[togodamnus]

Once again we see why large predatory sharks should not be taunted or fed for sport; ~''DONT FEED THE ANIMALS''~ is one of the most basic tenants of wildlife care.

Feeding, let alone taunting/agitating the sharks (cheap thrills)is an un-needed component of the shark dive industry that only serves to re-enforce the negative aspects of this fascinating marine predator.

Shark viewing, shark diving can be conducted without feeding which can provoke the animals to behave aggressively. There have been numerous incidents and injuries to both divers and the sharks implicated in these tourist adventures.

Extreme sport diving should not be confused with eco-tourism or research.

And so it goes,

Sean R. Van Sommeran
Executive Director/CEO
The Pelagic Shark Research Foundation
Santa Cruz California
Since 1990

[togodamnus]

Once again we see why large predatory sharks should not be taunted or fed for sport; ~''DONT FEED THE ANIMALS''~ is one of the most basic tenants of wildlife care.

Feeding, let alone taunting/agitating the sharks (cheap thrills)is an un-needed component of the shark dive industry that only serves to re-enforce the negative aspects of this fascinating marine predator.

Shark viewing, shark diving can be conducted without feeding which can provoke the animals to behave aggressively. There have been numerous incidents and injuries to both divers and the sharks implicated in these tourist adventures.

Extreme sport diving should not be confused with eco-tourism or research.

And so it goes,

Sean R. Van Sommeran
Executive Director/CEO
The Pelagic Shark Research Foundation
Santa Cruz California
Since 1990

[facts6]

"""Why can''''t the authorities""" Who are the shark authoritites? Do tell.

Excuse me but why should the sharks be slaughtered because people want to swim in their ocean? They have been there millions of years. We as humans need to find something else to do besdies go in shark infested waters and then get eaten, or bitten then demand that we go out and butcher the sharks?? DUHHHHHHHHH. Stay out of the water ,don''t chum the waters. DO cage dives if you must go out and aggrivate the sharks but for goodness skaes don''t even think about killing off animals that YOU disturbed. They have rights too. Man does not need to take over every inch of this planet.

[zoovisitor]

The shark photo used in this story is phony. There are no cone shaped shark teeth.

For those too timid to get into the water wirh sharks, visit a local aquarium.

Rudy Socha
Zoo and Aquarium Visitor magazine
http://www.zandavisitor.com