Latest news with #beachinjury
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Yahoo
Beachgoer airlifted after South Carolina suspected shark attack
A beachgoer in South Carolina suffered serious injuries in what local first-responders are calling a suspected shark attack. The incident, in which local officials said the victim suffered major injuries to her leg, happened in waters off the south end of Hilton Head Island, a local dispatcher confirmed to USA TODAY Thursday, June 19. The island is about 45 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia. "The incident involved a patient with a leg injury consistent with lacerations typically associated with a shark bite," a Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue official wrote in press release obtained by USA TODAY. Crews responded at 12:07 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, to a medical emergency near beach mile marker 24 in Sea Pines Beach, according to the release. Lifeguards and firefighters treated the victim at the scene before she was transported to Hilton Head Island Airport, the release continues, where a medical helicopter flew her to a Savannah facility for further treatment. The victim's age, name and condition were not immediately known on Thursday, June 19, but first-responders at the scene determined the injuries to be non-life threatening. Shark siting: Massive great white shark resurfaces off North Carolina coast The incident marked the first reported likely shark bite of Hilton Head's summer season, Shore Beach Service director Mike Wagner told USA TODAY. The agency, which provides year-round beach patrol for 13.5 miles of the island's beaches according to its website, also responded to assist the victim. Local charter captain Chip Michalove, The Island Packet reported, said Hilton Head beaches see two or three shark attacks each year, "occasionally seeing spikes of up to a half-dozen." USA TODAY has reached out to Hilton Head fire officials for more Carolina suspected shark attack: Warning issued toa beach visitors If confirmed, the attack could be the state's first reported shark encounter with a human in 2025. According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), 47 people were bitten in unprovoked attacks last year. Four of them died, including one person in the United States. Each year, according to ISAF, the world averages about 65 documented shark attacks. On average, six fatal attacks are reported each year. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shark attack reported in Hilton Head, victim suffered major leg injury
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Yahoo
Beachgoer Stabbed in Leg While Swimming in Suspected Needlefish Attack
A beachgoer in New Jersey was stabbed in the leg while swimming — and officials suspect that it may have been a sting from a needlefish The Long Beach Township Police Department said that officers were called after an adult male sustained a "minor leg injury" while swimming on June 21 Needlefish are mostly found in shallow waters near the shore and can leap out of the water to strike when they feel threatenedA beachgoer in New Jersey was stabbed in the leg while swimming — and officials suspect it may have been a sting from a needlefish. On Saturday, June 21, the Long Beach Township Police Department shared a press release stating that officers were called to the city's 9th Street beach after an adult male sustained a "minor leg injury" while swimming at around 11:40 a.m. local time. After being treated by the Barnegat Light Beach Patrol, police officers and Barnegat Light First Aid, first responders took the man to a local hospital, and police said that no further information about the incident was available. "The cause of the injury is currently unknown," the press release added. Speaking with the Courier-Post, Barnegat Light Beach Patrol Sgt. Hugh Shields described the man's injury as a puncture hole wound in the calf. According to Shields, the victim's calf had seemingly been stabbed by a needlefish or a houndfish, two species that are common in New Jersey and other Atlantic waters during the summer. The Barnegat Light First Aid Squad later confirmed the news, writing in a Facebook post that the "initial indication appears to have been a needlefish." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), needlefish (and houndfish, a closely related species) are mostly found in shallow waters, bays and estuaries near the shore, often range from 8 to 18 inches in size and can leap out of the water to strike when they feel threatened. Although human encounters with needle and houndfish are rare, they aren't unheard-of. In 2010, a kayaker in the Florida Keys had her lung punctured when a fish leapt out of the water and stabbed her in the back. In 1999, a fisherman in Malaysia was killed after being speared by a houndfish, according to the Courier-Post. USA Today also reported that a 20-year-old in Brazil was found to have part of a needlefish's jaw embedded behind his ear after he was hit by the fish while surfing. Another impaling incident also took place in New Jersey last week — although it involved an umbrella pole instead of a fish. According to USA Today, a lifeguard was impaled by a windswept umbrella on the morning of June 25 in Asbury Park. The city's fire chief, Kevin Keddy, said the lifeguard was alert and conscious following the incident. First responders eventually cut the umbrella pole on both sides of her arm to allow for easier transportation to a local hospital, Keddy added. Read the original article on People
Fox News
20-06-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Two shark attacks reported in separate vacation hotspots as summer beach season starts
A South Carolina beachgoer is lucky to be alive after walking away with serious injuries from a suspected shark attack earlier this week. The incident reportedly occurred off the coast of the south end of Hilton Head Island on Tuesday, a Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue official confirmed to Fox News Digital. "The incident involved a patient with a leg injury consistent with lacerations typically associated with a shark bite," the department said in a statement. Local rescue crews were dispatched to beach marker 24 in Sea Pines Beach at approximately 12:07 p.m. regarding reports of a medical emergency. Firefighters and lifeguards subsequently treated the victim at the scene before transporting her to Hilton Head Island Airport, where she was then airlifted to a local facility in Savannah for further medical treatment. Local officials declined Fox News Digital's request for information regarding the victim's identity and condition, citing privacy regulations. The attack comes just days after a 9-year-old girl was bitten by a shark on Florida's Gulf Coast, according to Fox 13. Leah Lendel was enjoying a snorkeling trip with her family in Boca Grande on June 11 when a shark bit her hand, the outlet reported. The injuries left her hand "hanging by a little piece of skin," a witness reportedly said. Lendel was pulled from the water by a nearby construction crew and airlifted to Tampa General Hospital, where she underwent surgery involving artery grafts, bone reconstruction and nerve repair. "I didn't see anything," Lendel said at a news conference Thursday. "I was just snorkeling and I went up to breathe, then something hard bit me and it tried to take me away. Then I pick up my hand and it's all in blood. Then, I started screaming with my mom. And then, my dad was with me. He picked me up, then we ran to the road. Doctors were able to save Lendel's hand, a feat they partially credit to how "clean" the bite was. "The shark's teeth are so sharp that the cut through the wrist is clean and not jagged, and it doesn't ruin all the tissue," Dr. Alfred Hess said. Lendel anticipates she will return to the water once she has made a full recovery. "She's done a fantastic job, I can already tell you," Dr. Joshua Linnell said. "I just keep looking over at those fingers because we worked hard on that." Lendel's family did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
