8-year-old boy bitten by shark off North Carolina coast

Posted By: Staff
June 17, 2019 @ 6:06 am
ABC National

NRedmond/iStock

NRedmond/iStock(BALD HEAD ISLAND, N.C.) — An 8-year-old boy was attacked by a shark while swimming off the North Carolina coast on Sunday afternoon, officials said.

The boy, whose name was not released, was in the water just off Bald Head Island when he was bitten on the leg, Village Manager Chris McCall said in a statement.

Village officials said they determined the boy was bitten by a shark based on an assessment by first responders and the wounds he sustained. The size and type of shark are unknown.

The boy suffered puncture wounds to the leg that were not considered life-threatening. He was transported off the island by ferry and taken to a local area hospital, officials said.

This is the third shark attack off the North Carolina coast in the last month.

Paige Winter, 17, was rushed to the hospital after she was attacked in Atlantic Beach on June 2. Her left leg was amputated at her thigh, and she lost two fingers.

On June 11, Austin Reed was bitten at around 2 p.m. while surfing in waters off Ocean Isle Beach, located along the southern portion of the state’s coastline. Emergency workers said he sustained a bite to the soft tissue area of his right foot.