The family of an 8-year-old boy from Pinecrest, Florida, who was attacked by a shark while snorkeling near Key Largo said he is getting stronger each day.
The boy, identified as Richard Burrows, was snorkeling with his father, David, and 10-year-old sister, Rose, around 3:24 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 1. when he was bitten by a blacktip shark, according to reporting from national media.
A Good Samaritan helped Burrows apply a tourniquet to Richard’s right leg while they waited for emergency responders. He was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami where he underwent surgery.
In a recent statement, the Burrows family said Richard was in good spirits.
“Our hope is that he will be back enjoying his passion for the ocean and marine life with his older sister in no time,” the family said.
Other Attacks
In July of 2024, a 37-year-old spearfisherman, Jose Abreu, was attacked by a bull shark near a reef off Key West. Thankfully, he survived the encounter.
In 2022, another man, Jameson Reeder Jr., lost his leg after being attacked by a bull shark in the area.
While there has been an increase in shark populations, a trend scientists have attributed to warmer water temperatures and conservation efforts, the likelihood of being attacked by a shark in Florida waters are low, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. The data shows hat the chances of a shark bite are about one in 3.7 million. Last year, the state had 14 unprovoked, non-fatal shark attacks, which is below Florida’s five-year annual average of 19 incidents.
“Many more people drown in the ocean every year than are bitten by sharks,” Museum officials said on its official website. “The few bites that occur every year are an excellent indication that sharks do not feed on humans and that most bites are simply due to mistaken identity.”
That being said, the chance of being attacked is not zero. To reduce your risk, officials recommend swimming with a partner as sharks are less likely to approach more than one person,
While everyone in the water should remain vigilant and keep a safe and respectful distance around marine life, dangers from sharks aren’t statistically what locals and tourists alike should be worrying about. Boating accidents pose a significantly higher risk than shark bites. In 2024, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported 685 reportable boating accidents throughout the state with 81 deaths and nearly 400 injuries.
While shark bites capture media attention, the true public safety threat in Florida is man-made: boating accidents, which result in far more injuries and deaths than shark attacks. This is why Leesfield & Partners emphasizes the importance of boating safety education and adherence to regulations to mitigate these risks.
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners is a personal injury law firm with nearly five decades of experience handling boating and water-related accident cases on behalf of individuals and grieving families. The firm’s experience handling these tragic and preventable cases has led to our attorneys regularly speaking out about critical water safety issues such as sober boating, life jacket use and other importance safety practices.
“The dangers from boating incidents are entirely underestimated as South Florida becomes more congested, drinking on the water becomes more prevalent and distractions from cell phones and other devices increases,” said Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner. “Important safety standards must be enforced on all watercrafts.”
The firm has represented countless victims of water-related injuries and their grieving families. In that time, the firm has secured numerous record verdicts and settlements for these clients, representing each one with the compassion, tenacity and knowledge of the law necessary to achieve the best possible result.
The firm is representing multiple victims of various and separate boating and water-related injuries in ongoing cases.
Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Eric Shane are representing the 7-year-old survivor of a tragic sailboat-barge crash in Miami Beach that killed three other children. No case has been filed, and no legal action has been taken as the firm and the Areyan Gruber family await the conclusion of the U.S. Coast Guard’s investigation.
“Many boaters are unfamiliar with the most basic navigation rules and actions necessary to avoid collisions in vessel traffic,” Mr. Shapiro said. “I look forward to the Coast Guard’s findings and hope the boating community can learn from this horrific incident.”
The firm is also representing the family of 13-year-old Erin Ko, one of the three children who tragically lost their lives as a result of this horrific incident. Mr. Shapiro and Bernardo Pimentel II, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney, are handling that case.
Mr. Shapiro and Evan Robinson, a Trial Attorney at the firm, are representing a teen who suffered a traumatic brain injury as the result of a water tubing accident.
Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Shane are representing a young girl who was enrolled in a South Florida summer camp when her leg was sliced by a boat propeller.
Previous Cases
Previously, the firm secured a substantial settlement in a case involving a minor who lost a leg while not being supervised on a vessel.
The firm previously handled the case of a family whose young son was snorkeling when he was hit and killed by a passing boater. The boater in that case was also a minor who should never have been given permission to operate the vessel without supervision. Not only did this minor not stop, but he attempted to cover up evidence and lie to police when questioned.
Neighbors later testified that this minor regularly operated the boat in a reckless manner.
The firm represented the family of a young woman, 20, who tragically died when the vessel she was on crashed into a concrete dock. The firm secured over $1.3 million for the family when it was revealed that the boat operator had been drinking and speeding the night of the crash.
In a jet ski and boat crash, Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured $935,750 for their client.
In a boat case involving a foreign resort, the firm secured an $800,000 recovery for the injured client.
The firm represented the widow of a man who drowned while on a boat tour at the Dry Tortugas National Park. The company’s tour guides instructed the man where he should go to snorkel and, within minutes, his body was found unresponsive.
The firm secured a six-figure recovery in that case.
Mr. Pimentel, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney, represented the family of a young man and father-to-be who was lobster diving when he was killed by a law enforcement officer who negligently failed to adhere to divers-down flag laws.
If you, or someone you know, was involved in a boating accident or other water-related incident in Florida, don’t wait. Call a Leesfield & Partners attorney today at 800-836-6400 to see if you may be eligible to make a claim.