South Padre Island, Texas: At least 3 bites in shark attacks in Texas and Florida on July 4

CNN
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Several people were bitten by sharks in separate attacks on beaches in Texas and Florida on July 4, authorities said.

A 21-year-old Ohio man was bitten on the foot by a shark while playing football in “knee-deep water” at New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on Thursday afternoon and was taken to a hospital, according to Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue.

The bite occurred around 4 p.m. and the injuries were not life-threatening, said Tamra Malphurs, the office’s interim director.

In Texas, four people encountered a shark as they set sail off South Padre Island on Independence Day.

“Details at this time indicate that two people were bitten and two people encountered the shark but were not seriously injured,” the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said in a statement.

The two bite victims were taken to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, where one is being treated and the other was flown out for further treatment, the department said.

The third person was injured — though not seriously — while trying to help one of the bite victims, the department told CNN. It’s unclear exactly how they were injured.

Another beachgoer said he felt a shark brush against him as he swam by, the department said.

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

Earlier, Captain Chris Dowdy, game warden for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, told CNN affiliate KRGV that at least four shark-related incidents had been reported on South Padre Island. The attacks were likely related to the same shark that later swam into open water, he said.

Two off-duty Border Patrol agents from the Search, Trauma and Rescue Unit pulled one of the victims from the water and placed a tourniquet on his leg, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and their families and we hope for a speedy recovery,” said South Padre Island Mayor Patrick McNulty.

One of the attacks was reported to South Padre Island police at 11 a.m., city spokeswoman Nikki Soto told CNN. Officers immediately treated the male victim and transported him to a local hospital, Soto said.

South Padre Island Beach authorities are patrolling the shoreline and using drones to look for the shark, she said.

Nereyda Bazaldua told CNN her daughter was among those bitten Thursday. Bazaldua said her two teenage daughters were playing on boogie boards in the shallow, knee-deep water near shore when they shouted “shark!”

When her 18-year-old daughter Victoria came out of the water, Bazaldua said she saw “some blood running down her leg,” Bazaldua said. Fortunately, she said, Victoria’s injuries were minor.

“The shark attacked her and five to six of its teeth scratched her leg,” Bazaldua said. “The wounds are not deep.” She said the shark stayed in the water for 20 to 30 minutes before moving on.

“We didn’t see the shark until it was right next to them,” Balzadua said. “The water wasn’t choppy and the sea was calm. It appeared out of nowhere.”

A Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter flew low over South Padre Island and took deterrent measures to keep the shark from approaching shore after the encounters, a spokesman said.

“The Texas Department of Public Safety Aviation Division responded to the situation on South Padre Island to assist local authorities with a shark attack,” said Lt. Chris Olivarez.

Olivarez shared video from the helicopter with CNN that showed a shark lurking in the water and swimming against the waves Thursday afternoon. “DPS remained on scene until the shark was no longer a threat,” Olivarez said.

According to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File, fewer than 10 shark bites have been reported in Texas since 2012. That puts the Lone Star State behind Florida with 259 reported bites, Hawaii with 76, South Carolina with 45, North Carolina with 31 and California with 29.

South Padre Island is located about 100 miles from Padre Island National Seashore, at the other end of what was once a contiguous island, according to the National Park Service.

Padre Island (also known as North Padre Island) is the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world, with 70 miles of protected shoreline, the park service said. It separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre.