07/21/2023 John Mistler Sea Pines’ beach Hilton Head South Carolina

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Man bitten by shark at a Hilton Head Island beach Friday afternoon, officials confirm

A man was bitten by a shark while in Sea Pines’ beach waters on Friday afternoon, as confirmed by the Shore Beach Service on Saturday morning. Around 3 p.m.

Friday, the man was wading waist-deep in the ocean when a shark bit him on the foot, according to a Town of Hilton Head Island Government Facebook post.

Shore Beach Service personnel removed the man from the water and called Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue paramedics to respond.Following their arrival, paramedics took the man to Hilton Head Hospital for treatment of the “apparent” bite wound, the post read.

On Saturday morning, Bob Bromage, Hilton Head director of public safety, said the man was 60 years old.

It is not clear whether the injured man was visiting or local to the area. On Saturday, it was not immediately known whether he’d been released from the hospital.

Because of the incident and for the safety of the public, Shore Beach Service closed the water between beach markers 33 and 42 for the remainder of Friday. That section of the beach was reopened Saturday, the service confirmed.

Throughout 2022, there were a total of 108 shark attacks in the United States, according to the World Animal Foundation. The International Shark Attack File records that 57 of those were unprovoked bites or attacks.

Read more at: https://www.islandpacket.com