What are the odds of getting attacked by a shark? It’s estimated about 1 in 11.5 million. What are the odds of getting attacked by a shark in a lake on the Friday before Shark Week begins? No one has taken the time to calculate that, but that’s just what happened Friday afternoon on Lake Pontchartrain.
According to Todd Masson of Nola.com, 7-year old Trent Trentacosta was enjoying a day on the lake with his family when he was attacked by what was believed to be a 5-foot bull shark. The shark brushed him from the back wile Trentacosta was in the water. When he turned around to see what had bumped up against him, he felt the shark swim to his front and then charge him. The shark bit him on his foot, held on for a few seconds, and then swam off leaving young Trent bleeding with some pretty substantial but non-life threatening bite marks on his heel.
As rare as shark attacks are, shark attacks in Louisiana are even rarer. The state’s last occurred in 2009 when a man was wading in knee-deep water while fishing about 85 miles south of New Orleans. He, too, was bitten on the leg and recovered from his injuries. According to Skarkattackfile.info, a site that keeps track of shark attacks worldwide, there have been only 9 shark attacks in Louisiana since 1940.
Trentacosta is expected to make a full recovery.