Beaches reopen after Canadian boy gashed by ocean predator

Associated Press, 12/26/97 12:15

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) - Beaches reopened today after being closed when an unknown predator fish attacked an 8-year-old Canadian vacationer.

Samuel Lussier was in stable condition at Regional Memorial Hospital with a gash stretching from his left knee to his ankle. The Quebec boy was attacked while swimming in a life vest in 4-feet-deep surf Thursday.

Shark expert George Burgess said people might assume a shark was to blame, ``but there are other things conceivably that could have done this: barracuda, blue fish, moray eels.''

Several miles of Broward County beaches were closed for a short time as a precaution even though the attack was viewed as an isolated incident.

``As far as I know we haven't had a recorded fish-biting incident in the history of Hollywood Beach actually, until now,'' said lifeguard Jeff Epstein.