An off-duty Florida cop jumped into the ocean to drag a boy using a boogie-board to safety after a shark was seen swimming toward the kid in a heart-pounding video.
On Thursday, Cocoa Beach Police Officer Adrian Kosicki and his wife were walking along the beach when they spotted a shark approaching the boy in the shallows right offshore, police wrote on Facebook.
WATCH:
OFFICER PULLS BOY FROM CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH SHARKCocoa Beach Police Officer Adrian Kosicki was off-duty Thursday evening, July 16, walking on the beach with his wife near the pier when they noticed a shark approaching a small boy on a boogie board. Adrian made the decision to quickly enter the water and pull the boy from the surf as the shark began to get dangerously close, within only a couple of feet at its nearest distance. We’re certainly not marine biologists, educated and trained to differentiate between the various species of sharks, their respective feeding habits, and aggressiveness near swimmers. We just do what we do best—protect the public from harm.Thanks to Adrian, we’ll never know what that shark’s intentions were, and that little boy will forever have a pretty cool story to tell. Great job!??
Posted by Cocoa Beach Police & Fire on Friday, July 17, 2020
Police shared a video someone on the beach took of the incident showing a shark fin cutting through the water’s surface as it swims toward the boy.
“Hey buddy! Hey, there’s a shark right there,” an onlooker says before another shouts, “There he is!”
The quick-thinking police officer jumped straight into the water and grabbed hold of the boy, dragging him through the surf toward the shoreline as the shark swam “dangerously close,” police said. Kosicki got the boy further inland of the beach while the shark swam within just feet of them, as seen in the video.
“We’re certainly not marine biologists, educated and trained to differentiate between the various species of sharks, their respective feeding habits and aggressiveness near swimmers,” police wrote. “We just do what we do best — protect the public from harm.”
“We just do what we do best—protect the public from harm. Thanks to Adrian, we’ll never know what that shark’s intentions were, and that little boy will forever have a pretty cool story to tell.”
According to the Brevard Times, Florida experiences more shark attacks during the end of summer to the beginning of fall, from July through October. That’s because the temperature of the water rises during those months and more people go into the ocean to swim, boogie-board and surf.
The species of shark wasn’t immediately clear, but the Times said the area usually sees Bull sharks, Spinner sharks, small Bonnethead sharks and Blacktip sharks.
Cocoa Beach is situated in Brevard County, and has the second highest number of shark attacks in Florida, with Volusia County having the most.
Brevard County, where Cocoa Beach is situated, has Florida’s second-highest variety of shark assaults behind Volusia County, in accordance with the paper.
Volusia County, which is home to the famous Daytona Beach and also New Smyrna Beach, is acknowledged as the shark bite capital of the world.
“Thanks to Adrian, we’ll never know what that shark’s intentions were, and that little boy will forever have a pretty cool story to tell,” police said. “Great job!”
This is why I never leave the wading pool.
Rich is syndicated opinion columnist for David Harris Jr. and owner of Maga-Chat.com. He writes about politics, culture, liberty and faith.
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