Shark attacks raises safety questions

After an Austrian tourist died from being bitten by a shark on an organized diving trip in the Bahamas, the safety practices on dives with sharks are once again being scrutinized. On the voyage in question on the MV Shear Water charter vessel, 49-year old Austrian lawyer Markus Groh was bitten by a bull shark during the dive. He was bitten in the leg, and died before he could be treated at a Florida hospital in Miami-Dade County. The cause of death was loss of blood.

There is no doubt that diving with sharks is a dangerous undertaking, but the company that operated the popular shark tours that Groh was a part of are very clear about the risks on their website. Scuba Adventures website describes what divers will be doing, and says, “shark diving is a potentially dangerous activity”, and informing potential participants that the dive will involve “chumming the water with fish and fish parts to ensure the best results. Consequently, there will be food in the water at the same time as divers.”