Elias Levy / CC
It’s Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. So in case one tries to take a chunk out of you this summer, here are three steps for surviving a shark attack . . .
- If you see it coming, act big. If they decide you’re bigger than them, they’ll usually swim off. So just like with black bears and other animals, try to fool them into thinking you’re bigger than they are.
- If it does attack, fight back. If you play dead with sharks, they’ll just keep chomping. So fight back, and target three key spots: Their eyes, nose, and gills. If you have something like a boogie board, you can use that instead of your fists.
- Once it leaves, get to shore. All the splashing around . . . and any blood in the water . . . could attract MORE sharks. So get to shore as fast as you can. Minimizing movement and staying where you are WON’T make them leave you alone.
A few things that can increase the risk of a shark attack are swimming at night . . . wearing jewelry in the water, because they might think it’s a fish . . . and being at a beach in FLORIDA, which leads the world in unprovoked shark attacks.
That said, only 155 people on the entire planet were attacked by sharks last year. And on average, just SIX people are killed each year. Statistically, you’re much more likely to be killed by a cow. (CNN)
