Stephen Schafer kitesurfing in 2007. (Chris Shultz)
STUART, Fla. – Employees of a Stuart hospital are being investigated for photos taken of a patient being treated for a shark bite who later died.
In a statement released Friday, officials said Martin Memorial Health Systems has launched an internal investigation regarding photos taken while Stephen Schafer was being treated in the emergency center on Feb. 3. The Stuart man was later pronounced dead.
Hospital spokesman Miguel Coty said "it appears photographs were taken of the patient's injuries." The investigation will focus on whether employees e-mailed those photos to other people.
The investigation was launched immediately after the hospital learned that employees may have violated patient privacy laws.
Coty said Schafer
s family was notified of the investigation.
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