Northeast
Shark attacks 2023: 6 US scrapes with predators in the sea
As of Dec. 15, there have been 80 shark attack bites recorded worldwide in 2023, per TrackingSharks.com – 13 of them were fatal. Half of this year’s shark attacks took place in the United States, with 20 in Florida, five in Hawaii, two in California, six in New York and three in South Carolina.
Only one shark encounter in U.S. waters proved fatal this year, per the site.
Fox News Digital compiled six incredible stories from shark attack victims who lived to tell the tale.
Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York
New York’s Rockaway Beach was shut down after 65-year-old swimmer Tatyana Koltunyuk lost “approximately 20 pounds of flesh” to a roving shark, per the New York Post.
The outlet also obtained a grisly photo of the woman’s thigh with a large chunk of flesh missing after the Aug. 7 incident. She was transported to nearby Jamaica Hospital and survived the attack.
Koltunyuk underwent at least five surgeries after the attack and faces permanent disability, per a GoFundMe set up by her family.
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Tatyana Koltunyuk, 65, lost approximately 20 pounds of flesh from her upper left thigh when she was attacked by a shark on New York City’s Rockaway Beach on Aug. 7, according to officials. (GoFundMe)
Police respond to Rockaway Beach at Beach 59th Street in Queens, New York City after a swimmer was attacked by a shark on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. (Photo by Gardiner Anderson for NY Daily News via Getty Images)
Ponce Inlet, Florida
Two swimmers were bitten at the same Florida beach over Labor Day weekend – both victims survived, and it is unclear whether they were attacked by the same shark.
One victim, a 37-year-old woman from Apopka, Florida, was bitten on her right foot while swimming in shallow waters on Ponce Inlet, the Volusia County Beach Safety unit confirmed to Fox 35 Orlando at the time. She reportedly never saw the shark that bit her.
The second victim, a man in his 30s, was bitten on his left hand near the Ponce Inlet Jetty. He refused medical attention at the scene and drove himself to an area hospital, the outlet reported.
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A shark runs into the lens of a photographer during an outing with scuba company Emerald Charters off Jupiter Inlet, Florida, May 18, 2022. (REUTERS/Sam Wolfe)
New Smyrna, Florida
Mark Sumersett of South Carolina, 38, detailed his unexpected meeting with the shark that bit his face on Sept. 12 during his Florida vacation.
“I got bit when I was a little kid by a dog, and it kind of felt like that, but like a bear trap closing in on me,” the surfer told Fox 35 Orlando of the interaction at the popular New Smyrna Beach. “It was definitely a fight or flight situation.”
Sumersett got 12 stitches along his cheek and chin after the face-to-face encounter.
“God has a reason for me to be here. And that’s to help other people on this earth,” he said. “I’m just so grateful.”
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Mark Summerset is “so grateful” to be alive after a shark bit him on his face at a popular Florida beach in September. (FOX 35 Orlando)
Mark Summerset got 12 stitches to his cheek and chin after the attack, which he compared to a dog bite he sustained as a child. (FOX 35 Orlando)
St. Petersburg, Florida
A Florida woman swimming off the Gulf Coast in St. Petersburg on Sept. 30 said she is lucky to be alive after a shark clamped down into her midsection.
Natalie Branda, 26, got 14 stitches across her backside and stomach after the near-death incident.
“We were jumping off the boat, swimming around, floating for a few hours. Just having a fun day,” Branda told FOX 13 Tampa Bay. “I just felt pressure, and it released, and I was like ‘I got bit.’ I swam the fastest I ever swam to the boat.”
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Palm Beach, Florida
A drone-flying Florida YouTuber captured a bull shark’s attack on his friend’s boat late this July. Josh Jorgensen, who produces videos for the BlacktipH Fishing channel, caught the animal’s eight attacks on the small vessel off the Palm Beach coast.
Jorgensen said he was following his boat with his drone because his friend was chasing down two Cobia, which he calls “the tastiest fish in the ocean.” But then, a bull shark appeared, turning its sights to the boat’s engine.
“I didn’t think a shark could actually shake a boat like that,” boat driver Carl Torresson said in a later interview. “The boat was shaking like a bag of popcorn. Like, literally, I was shaking like an earthquake… I’m like ‘Are you kidding me? This is like a ride from Universal Studios.’”
After the ordeal, the men said, the entire engine had been ripped out entirely.
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New Smyrna, Florida
A Florida surfer credited his survival to his friend’s quick thinking after seeing the water “turn red” with the 21-year-old’s blood.
Reece Redish was watching Chris Pospisil from the shore of a New Smyrna beach in July when a shark “came from under” the latter man and “tipped [him] backwards off [his] board.” “I saw my foot in his mouth, and it dragged me under,” Pospisil told FOX 35 Orlando.
Redish immediately jumped into the water, swam out to his friend and pulled the surfer back onto his board.
“I’m not going to leave my friend in the water,” Redish told the outlet. “I’m willing to put myself at risk to help out anyone.”
The surfer sustained extensive damage to his left foot – seven tendons and a couple small arteries needed to be surgically repaired. A skin graft was created to cover the injury, and several pieces of the shark’s tooth were shattered and stuck in Pospisil’s bone.
However, despite his ordeal, the 21-year-old intends to continue surfing, he told the outlet.
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A powerful explosion tore through a Massachusetts home Wednesday morning, leaving a 25-year-old mother with severe burns and her 2-year-old child seriously injured as the house was engulfed in flames.
The explosion rocked a snow-covered street in Taunton, about 38 miles south of Boston, just days after the city was buried under more than two feet of snow. Residents several blocks away reported hearing a loud boom.
Emergency crews rushed to the three-family home around 9:50 a.m. and found the building fully ablaze.
“The situation is now under control, but this was a very serious incident,” Fire Chief Steven Lavigne said, noting the weather conditions presented challenges for firefighters.
A home was engulfed in flames after an explosion on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Taunton, Mass. (William James Shivers Jr. via AP)
The mother and her toddler were rushed to a hospital. Mayor Shaunna O’Connell said it was not immediately clear whether they were inside the home at the time of the explosion.
Fire officials declared the home a total loss. Eight residents were displaced, and two neighboring houses were heavily damaged by the blast and subsequent fire.
Firefighters respond to a home engulfed in flames on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Taunton, Mass. (William James Shivers Jr. via AP)
William James Shivers Jr., who lives nearby, said he rushed toward the flames to help.
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“Neighbors helping neighbors, as it should be,” he told The Associated Press. “Taunton police and fire are amazing and I’m blessed to be a part of this community.”
A warming center was opened for displaced residents as temperatures remained frigid.
Officials said the cause of the explosion was under investigation. (William James Shivers Jr. via AP)
State police fire investigators and the state fire marshal’s office are assisting local authorities in determining the cause of the explosion.
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Officials urged residents to avoid the area while emergency crews continue working at the scene.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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FORT MYERS, Fla. — It’s hard to imagine Garrett Whitlock’s spring getting off to a better start. The Red Sox right-hander made it three straight scoreless outings through the first week of games Saturday by sending down the Minnesota Twins 1-2-3 in the third during the club’s eventual 13-8 win.
Now, Whitlock will get ready to join Team USA ahead of the World Baseball Classic.
“I’m stoked. I’ve been jittery the past two days, like, ‘Oh man it’s almost here,’” Whitlock said. “Now I’ve got to go home, do some laundry and do some packing.”
Whitlock and teammate Roman Anthony will fly to Arizona on Sunday to join the rest of the American squad, which features Aaron Judge, Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes and many more of the game’s biggest stars. Team USA will play exhibitions against the Giants and Rockies this week before opening their tournament run in Houston against Brazil on Friday.
Among those Whitlock expects to be in Houston for the tournament is his father, Larry Whitlock, a veteran who saw combat during the Vietnam War. Whitlock said getting to represent his country is an amazing honor, and that sharing the news with his father that he’d been selected to the team last fall was an incredible moment for the family.
“I called him and I was just like, ‘Hey I want you to hear this from me before you hear it from anyone else, as a vet, I’m just so honored that I get to represent this country for baseball,’ and he kind of sobbed up and everything,” Whitlock said. “It was a very cool moment for me and him.”
“I’m actually the only male in my family not to serve in the military,” Whitlock continued. “My dad, my uncle, my brother, my granddad on both sides, so it’s a really truly special thing that’s close to my heart and that’s why it’s such an honor for me. Forget the stage and everything else, just to represent the country, obviously I’ll never be able to sacrifice like so many of our service members do, but the chance that we can hopefully bring them some joy in anything, it brings tears to my eyes thinking about it.”
To prepare for the tournament, Whitlock said he began his ramp up earlier than normal, throwing several live batting practices over the offseason when he’d typically wait until camp. The work was clearly evident through the first week of games, as Whitlock allowed just one hit in three innings with no walks and two strikeouts in his three Grapefruit League outings.
The next time he appears in a game the stakes will be a little bit higher, but if all goes according to plan, Whitlock won’t be back with the Red Sox for a while.
“It was funny, (USA manager Mark DeRosa) texted us like three days ago and he’s like, ‘Hey y’all better be packing for 18 days because we aren’t doing anything less.’ Kind of fired the guys up,” Whitlock said. “So I’m going to go home and you don’t realize how long 18 days is until you try to pack for it.”
Gray shaky in debut
Sonny Gray made his first start in a Red Sox uniform and wasn’t sharp, walking the first batter he faced on four pitches before ultimately allowing two runs on three hits and two walks over 1 1/3 innings. He threw 31 pitches, 13 for strikes, and allowed a solo home run to James Outman to lead off the second.
“I don’t like throwing as many balls as I did,” Gray said. “You walk the first hitter, four pitches, you know you’re not setting yourself up for success there.”
Gray escaped a potentially problematic first inning unscathed when he drew a 6-4-3 double play turned by Trevor Story and Nick Sogard to escape a bases-loaded jam. But after giving up the solo home run in the second, he allowed a single and was lifted after drawing a groundout to end his day.
Early solid again
Connelly Early took the mound in the top of the fourth for what was effectively his second “start” of the spring, and the rookie left-hander performed well again, throwing 2 2/3 innings while allowing two runs on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
Early posted a 1-2-3 fourth, allowed a single and an RBI double in the fifth and gave up a single before finishing his outing with back-to-back strikeouts in the sixth. The inherited runner later came around to score, giving Early the second earned run, but the lefty still threw 27 of his 39 pitches for strikes and topped out at 97.1 mph on the radar gun.
“I’m just trying to keep building the workload and I want to hold the velo going into all three innings,” Early said. “I thought I did a pretty good job with that.”
Duran homers twice
Jarren Duran has been red hot over the first week of games, and Saturday he came through again by launching two more home runs, including a two-run shot in the first inning for the second straight day.
Duran went deep to right-center field, crushing a 2-2 fastball from Twins starter Taj Bradley 401 feet for the two-run shot. He followed that up with another two-run bomb off Kendry Rojas in the fourth inning, this one going 409 feet.
The outfielder finished 2 for 2 with the two homers, four RBI, a walk and three runs scored. Duran is now batting .583 with a 2.167 OPS for the spring.
Roman Anthony and Carlos Narvaez each went 2 for 3 with an RBI, Trevor Story went 1 for 3 with a triple and Max Ferguson hit a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh.
Coming up next
The Red Sox are now 5-3 in Grapefruit League and 3-0 against the Twins. Ranger Suarez will take the mound for the second time this spring on Sunday when the Red Sox host the Baltimore Orioles. Aroldis Chapman, Justin Slaten, Wyatt Olds, Tayron Guerrero and Devin Sweet are all scheduled to pitch as well.
PITTSBURGH — Oneil Cruz needs to have a great season for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026 and his strong Spring Training continued in their most recent victory.
Cruz hit a three-run home run off of Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Jayden Murray in the top of the fifth inning, playing a big role in the 5-2 victory at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla.
He waited on a changeup on the second pitch, 85.1 mph over the middle of the plate and sent it 106.4 mph off the bat and 368 feet, scoring both left fielder Billy Cook and third baseman Alika Williams with two outs.
That marks the first home run for Cruz in the Grapefruit League, who has had a great Spring Training so far, slashing .538/.600/.846 for an OPS of 1.446 in five games, with seven hits in 13 at-bats.
Pittsburgh got the win after the top of the sixth inning, after a rain delay ended the game.
Pirates Rookie Pitchers Have Up-And-Down Showing vs. Astros
Right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft made his second start for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League and dominated vs. the Astros.
Ashcraft threw three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and a walk, while posting two strikeouts for Pittsburgh.
Former Pirates pitcher, right-handed starter Mike Burrows, countered Ashcraft for the Astros. He threw three scoreless innings himself, allowed one hit and a walk and posted four strikeouts.
The Pirates traded Burrows to the Houston Astros in the three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Dec. 19, that landed them second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery.
Right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler made his second appearance for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League and threw two innings.
Chandler immediately loaded the bases, walking both third baseman Carlos Correa and first baseman Christian Walker, then giving up a single to center fielder Cam Smith.
He came back and struckout right fielder Taylor Trammell and got left fielder Zach Dezenzo to pop out, but gave up a single to second baseman Brice Matthews and a run to the Astros, before ending the inning with a strikeout.
Chandler also gave up a solo home run to Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, on a slider down in the zone.
He finished his outing with three hits, three walks and two earned runs allowed over 1.1 innings pitched, before left-handed pitcher Derek Diamond got the last two outs of the inning.
Chandler struggled in his first Spring Training start vs. the New York Yankees at LECOM Park in Bradenton on Feb. 23, where he allowed four earned runs over 1.2 innings of work.
The Pirates will need better showings from Chandler, who should serve as a key piece of their starting rotation in 2026.
Other Important Notes from Pirates Victory
The Pirates added two runs in the top of the sixth inning, as Cook hit a single that scored second baseman Nick Yorke and then Williams singled, scoring Cook to make it a 5-2 ball game.
Cook had just one hit in eight at-bats coming into this game and scored twice in the victory, as he walked before the Cruz home run.
Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna led the Pirates with two hits, a good sign for them, as they’ll rely on him greatly for his power and hitting in 2026.
The Pirates are now 7-2 in the Grapefruit League and tied with the Yankees for the top of the standings.
Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!
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