Single Shark Goes on 4th of July Rampage at Texas Beach, Attacks 4 People
Four shark attacks took place Thursday off of South Padre Island near Brownsville, Texas.
None of the attacks were fatal, although one man was hospitalized, according to KPRC-TV.
And a single shark is thought to be responsible for all of them.
The most serious attack took place at about 11 a.m. according to Nikki Soto, the South Padre Island city secretary, KPRC reported.
After initial treatment on the beach by first responders, the man was taken to a local hospital.
But that was just the beginning of what Game Warden Capt. Chris Dowdy said were four separate attacks in the next two hours.
@cnnbrk @FoxNews @ksatnews here’s footage of a shark about 20 feet from shore on South Padre Island this morning… it bit a beachgoer on the thigh, who was taken away on a stretcher by beach EMS. #southpadreislandshark #sharkattack #fourthofjulysharkattack #southpadreisland pic.twitter.com/Wt0HGeBAWh
— Katie McMillan 💛🌵 (@kb_mcmillan) July 4, 2024
The second attack involved a woman who suffered a wound to her left leg.
Kyle Jud, 46, said he witnessed the scene as the victim came out of the water, according to NBC.
“Beach patrol lifted her up — her calf was just gone, shredded. Horrific,” Jud said.
Dowdy said the third attack involved a man who was able to kick at the shark after being bitten, according to KPRC. His wound required stitches to close it.
There were four back to back shark attacks this July 4 at South Padre Island, TX. Texas Game Wardens confirmed. Authorities believe it was one shark in those four attacks. Authorities keeping people out of the water. pic.twitter.com/Na6K3ftCRe
— ChristianvonPreysing (@vonPreysing) July 4, 2024
The final attack of the day involved a girl who was not bitten but did suffer a scratch from the shark’s teeth, KPRC reported.
The Coast Guard advised beachgoers to stay out of the water.
The last shark attack near South Padre Island area took place five years ago, Dowdy said, according to KPRC.
Based on information gathered from witnesses and social media, Dowdy said one shark, about 6 feet long, is believed to have been involved in all four attacks, KPRC reported.
“Shark encounters of this nature are not a common occurrence in Texas,” state wildlife officials said in a statement, according to ABC. “When bites from sharks do occur, they are usually a case of mistaken identity by sharks looking for food.”
Visitors to the beach were warned that if they see “large schools of bait near the shore, this typically an indicator a predator is nearby, or if you see a shark in the water, calmly exit the water and wait for the predatory wildlife to pass.”
South Padre Island Fire Chief Jim Pigg said the shark was eventually found and “pushed out to deeper water,” according to NBC.
“It’s unprecedented here on South Padre Island,” he said.
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