14-year-old girl killed in Florida shark attack

SANDESTIN, Florida (AP) -- A 14-year-old girl was killed on Saturday in a shark attack near a Walton County campground on the Gulf of Mexico, authorities said. The girl's identity was not released. Donna Shank, Walton County Sheriff's Office Spokeswoman, says the girl was from Louisiana and was on vacation with her family. Shank says two 14-year-old girls were swimming about 100 yards offshore when they noticed a dark shadow in the water. Donna Shank, Walton Sheriff’s Office Spokeswoman:"One of the swimmers was bitten. It was lower portions of her body."Both girls swam to the shore where the girl that was attacked was treated. Shank says the girl was transported to the Sacred Heart Hospital in South Walton where she was pronounced dead. About 21 miles of area beaches were closed to swimmers immediately afterward. They will be closed for the rest of the day. The attack occurred near Camping on the Gulf Holiday Travel Park in Walton County. Patrick O'Neill, the campground's general manager, refused to comment, saying only that the situation was "complicated." Mike McKee, front desk supervisor at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort and Spa. McKee said this is the time of year when area hotels are booked to capacity. George Burgess, curator of the International Shark Attack File, University of Florida:"Obviously it was a shark, and the young lady, she was mauled pretty badly. It was a bad attack." Burgess says it was a large shark. He was heading to the scene to investigate. He says it was the first shark attack of any kind recorded in Walton County. Florida had the largest number of documented shark attacks worldwide in 2003 with 31. There were 12 attacks off the coast of Florida last year.