Several injured after shark attacks in Texas and Florida on July 4

During the Fourth of July Independence Day holiday, several people were injured in several reported shark attacks in Texas and Florida.

At least four people were hospitalized with bite wounds — including one serious one — after being attacked while swimming off the Texas coast, according to the Laredo Morning Times on Thursday. Citing statements from authorities, the newspaper said the bites were the result of two separate incidents, but a single shark is believed to be responsible.

Related story: Shark attacks are increasing worldwide, scientists are researching the reasons

Photos shared on social media by the U.S. Border Patrol’s Laredo Sector show first responders treating one of the bite victims, whose leg is covered in blood and who appears to be missing a large chunk of his calf. Officials said two Border Patrol agents “pulled the shark attack victim out of the water” before rendering “life-saving aid.”

“Encounters with sharks of this type are not common occurrences in Texas,” the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said in a statement. “When shark bites do occur, they are usually a case of mistaken identity by sharks searching for food.”

Elsewhere, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, a 21-year-old tourist was reportedly bitten by a shark while playing soccer in knee-deep water. A witness told Orlando television station WESH that the man was taken to a local hospital with apparently non-life-threatening injuries to his ankle and foot.

From the archive: Should you avoid the water given recent shark activity?

Although such shark attacks can be frightening for beachgoers, they are still considered very rare. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says that people in the state are 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning than bitten by a shark. Additionally, experts believe that the increase in shark bites in recent years is more related to the increase in human visitors than to shark activity.