Horror images show shark bite wounds after four people were attacked within a week and authorities warn against swimming in the waters

WITHIN a week, four people were bitten while swimming in Virginia Beach.

A mother told the story of her ten-year-old’s bloody seizure that left her eight stitches.

Arryn Van Slyke of Virginia Beach, Virginia, said her daughter was bitten by something in the water at around 9:20 a.m. on June 20, according to NBC affiliate WAVY.

“They really weren’t that deep,” Van Slyke said of her children, according to WAVY.

“They were probably a little above their knees and just jumped, and then all of a sudden they came running out.”

Van Slyke was immediately alert and said she thought a jellyfish had stung her before her daughter Vivienne showed her foot and screamed.

“I looked at her foot and saw kind of the whole bite mark and then there was a spot where her flesh was showing, so of course I was completely shocked,” Van Slyke said.

Emergency crews rushed to Sandbridge Beach around 9:30 a.m. and Vivienne was taken to a local hospital, a city spokesperson said, according to WAVY.

“I tried to stay calm because that’s probably the best thing I can do, but I was pretty scared,” Vivienne said, according to ABC affiliate WVEC.

Her twin sister Autumn was also swimming in the water.

“I was just shocked and scared for her. I was more scared than she was!” Autumn said, according to WVEC.

Cruel injury

The ten-year-old’s bite required eight stitches on the front of her foot between the first and second toes.

Bite marks and torn skin formed a semicircle around the upper part of her foot where the animal had held on.

“It feels good,” Vivienne said, according to WVEC.

“I can walk reasonably well, but I put most of the pressure on my heel.”

Authorities have not confirmed that it was a shark bite, but Van Slyke believed it was a juvenile sand shark.

Van Slyke said doctors described it as a “shark bite wound,” according to WAVY.

“They took X-rays to make sure there were no teeth in there and that she had no broken bones. Everything was fine on the X-ray,” Van Slyke said.

Van Slyke said Vivienne’s recovery was going well, but she had no plans to return to the sea any time soon.

“She keeps saying that she was really lucky that nothing worse happened, but she is unlucky because she was bitten by a shark herself,” Van Slyke said.

“They decided they’re probably never going to go in the water at the beach again. We’ve been there so many times, so it’s just crazy that it even happened, but yeah, it’s really scary.”

THE OTHERS BITE

Cat Watson, chief of the Virginia Beach EMS Marine Operations Brigade, said all of the bites occurred at different times and in different locations.

According to CBS affiliate WTKR, two people were bitten on June 20, including Vivienne.

A third was bitten on June 23 and it is unclear when the fourth was bitten, but emergency services said it was recently.

According to EMS, all other victims required only minor first aid, according to WAVY.

According to WTKR, two people were able to leave the beach under their own power, the rescue service said.

The other two were taken to hospital.

Vivienne is recovering and the condition of the fourth bite victim is unknown.

Without medical confirmation, officials cannot determine which animal bit the victims.

“IT’S YOUR HOME”

Watson said such bites are rare, but people should always be alert when swimming.

“If you see a large school of fish swimming in the ocean, we recommend that you do not swim into the middle of it,” Watson said.

“Also, if you see a pod of dolphins, it’s not safe to swim with the dolphins either. You want to respect marine life because it’s their home.”

Virginia Beach Lifeguards also recommend that people swim near lifeguards and be aware of their surroundings, as other animals could be dangerous.

“It’s not just sharks, it could be large schools of fish,” Watson said.

“It could be schools of dolphins, jellyfish or marine life.”

Watson also warned people to be careful when swimming near people fishing on the beach.

“Don’t swim right next to a fisherman, but maybe give him some space on either side,” she said.

If something happens on the beach, call a lifeguard and 911.

“We have lifeguards who patrol regularly,” Watson said.

“So we have these red and white, 10-foot-tall, two-by-four-inch boards with 100 blocks painted on them. So when you call 911, you give the number of the marker you are closest to and we know exactly where on the beach you are.”