During the Independence Day celebrations, multiple people were injured in shark attacks on South Padre Island, Texas, and another individual was bitten in Florida.
On South Padre Island, a beach town on a barrier island of the same name, beachgoers on July 4th were shocked when four people encountered a shark, resulting in at least two being bitten.
Multiple Victims
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reported that two victims were transported to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, with one requiring further treatment at another facility.
The other two individuals encountered the shark but were not seriously injured.
Could be the Same Shark
Officials believe the same six-foot-long shark was responsible for the attacks.
Texas game warden captain Chris Dowdy confirmed this information to KSAT. Fire chief Jim Pigg of the South Padre Island Fire Department stated that three of the victims were hospitalized while a fourth received on-site treatment for minor injuries, according to CNN.
Unprecedented
Pigg noted, “The shark involved in the attacks was located at the south end of the island and was pushed out to deeper water. It’s unprecedented here on South Padre Island.”
City spokesperson Nikki Soto told NBC News that police responded to a 911 call at 11 am reporting a severe shark bite to a man’s leg. He was taken to a local hospital.
911 Calls
The first call reported one person bitten and another with minor injuries. A second call later reported another shark bite attack, resulting in two more hospitalizations.
An eyewitness, Kyle Jud, told NBC he saw a woman being pulled from the water with a severe leg injury. “Beach patrol lifted her up – her calf was just gone, shredded. Horrific,” Jud recounted.
“Shark!”
Two off-duty Border Patrol agents from the Laredo Sector reported on social media that they rescued one of the shark attack victims and provided lifesaving aid.
Nereyda Bazaldua informed CNN that her 18-year-old daughter, Victoria, was among the injured. Victoria and her sister were in shallow water when they began screaming “Shark!”
Minor Injuries
Victoria emerged with blood on her leg, but her injuries were minor.
Bazaldua explained, “The shark pushed into her, five to six of his teeth scratched her leg. The wounds aren’t deep. We never saw the shark ‘til he was right there with them.”
Lifeguard’s Advice
Lifeguards on South Padre Island have been advising people to stay out of the water or to go no deeper than knee-high.
Authorities also patrol the coastline using drones to watch for sharks, Soto added.
Met by Shark
Meanwhile, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, an Ohio tourist was bitten on his right foot by a shark while playing football in knee-deep water on the Fourth of July.
The 21-year-old man was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Hot Spot for Sharks
Kristin Mazza, a witness, told Fox 35, “He had a pretty bad cut, but it was looking like it was not life-threatening – thank God. [He had a] gash to the foot, lots of blood.”
New Smyrna Beach, located in Volusia County, has recorded the highest number of shark bites in Florida, with eight bites accounting for 50 percent of the state’s total.
Shark Capital
The attacks make Florida 2023’s shark attack capital of the world, according to the International Shark Attack File for 2023.
The file documented 120 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide last year, with 69 being unprovoked.
U.S. Records Most Incidents
The United States had the most incidents, with 36 cases, 16 of which occurred in Florida.
These incidents follow another recent attack where a man in his 40s, while fishing on a boat, suffered a severe shark bite to his right forearm and was left in critical condition.
