On the Fourth of July, a shark injured four people near South Padre Island, Texas, turning the holiday celebrations into a scene of chaos and concern. According to reports from ABC affiliate KRGV, the incidents involved at least two bites, with one person requiring hospitalization. The shark, believed to be the same one in all four encounters, left a trail of injuries and fear among beachgoers.
One man suffered a severe leg bite and was promptly taken to the hospital. Another person was bitten, while a third was grazed by the shark. A fourth individual was injured while attempting to deter the shark, as confirmed by Texas game warden captain Chris Dowdy. Paramedics treated one injured woman on the beach, according to KVEO.
The first call to South Padre Island police came around 11 a.m. local time, reporting a shark bite. Over the next two hours, three more incidents occurred. Witnesses described the shark as roughly 6 feet long, and it was seen swimming away into open water after the attacks. Local authorities used a helicopter and drones to monitor the shark’s movements.
Shark attacks are rare, and the chances of being bitten are extremely low. In 2021, an 11-year-old was suspected of receiving a shark bite on South Padre Island. Before these recent incidents, Cameron County, where the island is located, had only seven confirmed unprovoked shark attacks, according to the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File.
Yannis Papastamatiou, an associate professor of biological sciences at Florida International University, explained that shark bites are influenced by the number of sharks and the number of humans in the water. Beach attendance has steadily risen across the US since the mid-1990s, increasing the likelihood of such encounters.
Experts advise swimmers to stay safe by avoiding schools of fish where sharks feed, staying close to shore, and swimming in groups to increase the chances of spotting a shark. Murky water can make it harder for sharks to distinguish between people and their prey, and swimming around dusk can be more dangerous as sharks typically feed during this time.
In a separate incident on the same day, a 21-year-old man was bitten by a shark in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He was playing football in knee-deep water when the shark bit his right foot. The man, visiting from Ohio, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File reported 36 unprovoked shark attacks in the U.S. last year, with two fatalities. While the risk of being attacked by a shark is relatively small, swimmers can minimize their risk by staying in groups and closer to shore.
Fire Chief Jim Pigg of South Padre Island described the Texas incidents as unprecedented. He noted that there were two separate shark bite incidents at different times and locations. The first call involved one person with a severe leg bite and another with minor injuries. The second call reported two more people bitten by a shark, both of whom were taken to the hospital.
Kyle Jud, a witness, described seeing a woman pulled from the water with a severely injured leg. He posted a video of a shark in the water as a helicopter and a boat patrolled the area. One of the victims was flown out of a Brownsville hospital for further treatment.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stated that shark encounters of this nature are uncommon in Texas. When shark bites do occur, they are usually cases of mistaken identity, with sharks looking for food. The department advised beachgoers to exit the water calmly if they see large schools of bait near the shore or a shark in the water.
South Padre Island Mayor Patrick McNulty expressed his concern for the injured and their families, wishing them a speedy recovery. Lifeguards encouraged people to stay out of the water or go no further than knee-deep.
In Florida, another shark bite incident occurred the following day at New Smyrna Beach. A 26-year-old man was wading in an inner tube in water about 5 feet deep when a shark bit his left foot. He was treated on the scene and hospitalized for further care, with injuries that were not life-threatening.
Last year, there were 69 unprovoked shark attacks globally, with almost half occurring in the U.S. This was an increase from the 57 attacks in 2022 but still on par with the five-year average of 63 attacks annually. Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History, noted that these incidents are natural processes and random events.
Sharks tend to attack more commonly under certain conditions, such as when there are many people and sharks in the water, and the sharks are trying to feed. Poor visibility can also contribute to shark bites.
In another incident along Florida’s Gulf Coast, a woman was bitten on her arm and transported to a trauma center. Less than two hours later, two teenage girls were bitten by a shark while waist-deep in the water. One girl had injuries on her leg and hand, while the other had minor injuries on her foot.
Gavin Naylor explained that the presence of menhaden fish likely led to these strikes, as sharks chased and ate the small fish near the shore. He emphasized that shark attacks are rare and often a result of sharks feeding in waters where people are present.
Despite the fear and injuries caused by these incidents, experts remind the public that sharks rarely attack people. There were 69 unprovoked and 22 provoked shark bites worldwide last year. Data showed that more people died from falling into a hole at the beach than from shark strikes between 1990 and 2006.
Shark sightings have increased in recent years, a trend attributed to conservation efforts. While beachgoers are typically safe from sharks, they should be cautious if small fish are near the shore, as this could indicate the presence of a predator.
Source: ABC affiliate KRGV, KVEO, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Florida Museum of Natural History, Volusia County Beach Safety, The Associated Press, CNN, The Washington Post
