Shark attacks seemed to have been a common occurrence in the beaches of North Carolina this month. At least six incidents of shark-related attacks had been reported so far with the latest victim being a 17-year-old boy.
The latest attack occurred on Saturday at the beach near Waves, North Carolina. The victim was swimming with several other people when the carnivorous shark attacked. The teenager sustained several injuries to both hands, his buttocks and his right calf. He received some treatment at the scene of the attack and was later on transported to Norfolk, VA by air flight to receive further medication. No other swimmers in the area were injured.
On Friday, a separate shark attack occurred in the same area involving this time a 47-year-old man. According to the National Park Service, the attack was reported at around one mile north of a fishing pier in Avon, North Carolina. Similar to the 17-year-old teenage boy, the man was also swimming with other beach goers when the shark attacked. He sustained shark bites on his right leg and lower back. The man was treated at the scene of the attack and was later on transported to Norfolk by ambulance and air flight.
The fourth shark attack was reported on Wednesday, June 24. The victim, a young 8-year old boy, suffered minor injuries. The incident happened at Oak Island, North Carolina.
On June 14, two separate attacks were reported on the same above-mentioned location which involved a young girl, 13, and a young boy, 16. The call that reported the first incident came in at 4:40 p.m.
"Ok, the left arm is completely missing and also a bite to the left leg. 13-year-old, weak pulse."
Less than 90 minutes later, the call reporting the second attack was also heard. The two victims both lost an arm as a result of the attack. They were both airlifted to a local hospital. Both were also in critical condition.
The first recorded attack for the month occurred on June 11. The victim was a girl aged 13 years old. The shark also ripped off some chunks from her boogie board.
"It's very common this time of year between Florida and the Carolinas to have these sorts of incidents," said Chris Fischer, Ocearch founder. "We're at the peak of abundance. In the Carolinas, there's the maximum amount of bait, maximum amount of game fish there, which brings the predators in."
Photo: Christine Rondeau I Flickr
