The Dorsal Fin

Research at Vanderbilt University has helped fit shark attack survivor Craig Hutto with a “bionic” leg that can do all the things a normal leg can do including navigating various terrains, walking at different speeds, and transitions from sitting to standing.

Hutto’s right leg was amputated below the knee after he suffered injuries due to a shark bite in 2005. Hutto now works as a lab assistant for Vanderbilt mechanical engineering professor Michael Goldfarb who developed the artificial leg. Goldfarb was looking for an amputee to test his creation on when he was introduced to Hutto by the technician who fitted Hutto with his original prosthetic leg.

Goldfarb plans to release the prototype leg to a manufacturer in the near future and expects the cost of the leg to be comparable to a traditional prosthetic. Goldfarb noted that Hutto’s participation in the development of the leg was “invaluable.”

In addition to working in Goldfarb’s lab, Hutto is a nursing student who hopes to work Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt after graduation. This is the same hospital where Hutto was treated after his shark attack. Hutto credits medical personnel with saving his life and hopes to be able to “give back” with his chosen career path.

You can check out the full story at Vanderbilt University’s website.

UPDATE: RussiaToday recently released the video report below…

Australia’s Herald Sun reports that a second shark attack has occurred off of Russia’s Pacific coast (another attack happened in the region one day earlier) in the Sea of Japan. According to the report, a 16-year-old boy is recovering from “serious” injuries as a result of a shark bite. The boy was apparently bitten on the upper leg while swimming off Zheltukhin island in Russia’s Khasan district.

On Wednesday a 25-year-old man suffered sever injuries to both of his arms resulting in the loss of both forearms. According to Arkady Babenko, the head of surgery at Khasan Central District Hospital, the man is in “grave” condition and remains in “intensive care” after being attacked by a shark while swimming off a beach in the Khasan district.

Shark attacks in the region were unheard of up until this week. Vladmir Rakov, a marine biology professor in Vladivostok, noted that there had been no documented cases of shark attacks on humans in the area. Rakov went on to say that it was likely a white shark behind the attack on Wednesday, based on eyewitness descriptions, according to the Herald Sun article.

According to various media outlets, including North Carolina’s WITN-7, a 54-year-old South Carolina man, was bitten by a shark about 13 miles of the coast of Morehead City, NC. Donnie White was on a fishing boat and had entered the water to cool off when he was bitten on the lower leg, according to reports. He was taken to Carteret General Hospital. While White’s injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, his condition has not been released.

YouTube user SeabearVideo has posted a video which opens with the sub-title “Possible Great White Shark Tries to Attack Surfer” and then goes on to feature some surf footage during which a dark shape can be seen swimming alongside one surfer catching a wave and then underneath another surfer paddling in the opposite direction.

The footage was shot near San Diego, according to the video description, so the presence of a white shark in that area this time of year certainly wouldn’t be unheard of. However, the shadowy shape is fairly indiscernible in the video. So, is this just a shark or other marine animal out for a swim or could it possibly be a white shark attempting to attack one of the surfers? If you’ve got an opinion on it, sound off in the comments.

Every once in a while I come across some shark-related art worth sharing, and I think this particular piece falls into this category. The sculpture, created by Michael Chaikin, is made of copper and is jointed and balanced which creates a somewhat realistic swimming motion. It is 9′ in length and is suitable for either indoor or outdoor display, according to the description.

For more information about Chaikin and his sculptures, check out Chaikin’s website.