Dr. Kenneth J. Perry Urges 5 Shark-Bite Steps as Summer Attacks Rise

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 29

Five immediate actions can determine shark-bite survival, Dr. Kenneth J. Perry said, with the first priority getting victims out of the water and stopping catastrophic bleeding within the first five minutes.
Tourniquets should be placed above a severe limb wound and tightened until no pulse is felt below it, he said, warning they are temporary tools with about a two-hour window before tissue damage risks rise.
Pressure dressings may be safer when rescue is delayed, while bystanders should keep victims still and calm because panic raises heart rate and speeds blood loss.
Perry also warned that unconsciousness can signal blood-loss shock or a diving injury, and that survivors often need aggressive antibiotics later to fight marine bacterial infections.
The advice comes as shark incidents have already prompted a New York beach closure and followed bites in Queens and knee-deep water in Florida during an early summer surge.