Man dies in shark attack off Florida coast

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STUART, Fla., Feb. 4 (UPI) -- A Florida man was killed by sharks as he was kite-surfing near Stuart Beach, officials said.

A lifeguard brought the man to shore, where he was administered CPR before being taken to a hospital, where he died, the Palm Beach Post reported Wednesday.

The Martin County Sheriff's Office was investigating the death, sheriff's Capt. Mark McKinley said.

"I've been here 25 years," McKinley said. "To my knowledge, this is the first shark-related fatality we've seen."

Sharks recently have been swimming along Palm Beach County beaches as part of their annual chase of baitfish, the newspaper said. Lemon, bull and hammerhead sharks often are seen off area beaches this time of year, Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue Lt. Don May said.

Florida's last shark attack death was in 2005 in Walton County in Florida's panhandle, files at the University of Florida's Florida Museum of Natural History indicated.