Authorities reported that a man who encountered a shark over the weekend along Florida's northeast coast is now recovering. The incident, the third of its kind in the state in the past month, occurred near Fernandina Beach in the Amelia River. Responding to a distress call, officials from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit found the victim on a boat, suffering from a severe shark bite to his right forearm.

According to Alicia Tarancon, a public affairs officer with the sheriff's office, the victim had been fishing when the attack happened. After applying a tourniquet, officers transported him to shore and subsequently airlifted him to a nearby hospital. As of Sunday, the victim remains alert and continues to recuperate at the hospital. 

This incident is part of a series of recent shark encounters in Florida, with earlier incidents in the state's panhandle prompting beach closures. Similar incidents were also reported in Southern California and Hawaii, including one fatality. According to Stephen Kajiura, a shark specialist at Florida Atlantic University, these encounters are more frequent in summer due to increased human activity in the water and warmer temperatures. 

He emphasized that while shark activity is heightened during this time, fatalities remain rare. Kajiura advised beachgoers to exercise caution by avoiding flashy items that resemble fish scales, swimming in groups, staying near lifeguards, and steering clear of areas with large schools of fish, where sharks are more likely to be present.