At Least 2 People Have Been Attacked By Sharks In North Carolina In The Past 2 Weeks
At least two people have been attacked by sharks in North Carolina in the past two weeks, with one person reporting extensive injuries.
Shark attacks are not common in the U.S., but there are certain things you can do to lower your risk.
Ocean life experts offer a few tips to keep in mind before heading out into the ocean this summer.
Two people have been attacked by sharks in North Carolina in the past two weeks, and a third person was bitten by an animal that may have been shark.
The first attack happened on June 2. Paige Winter, 17, lost her left leg and two fingers after being bitten by a shark while swimming at Fort Macon State Park, ABC 12 reports. Winter was rescued by her dad, Charlie Winter, who punched the shark. “Although I have extensive injuries, including an amputated leg and damage to my hands, I will be OK,” she later said in a statement.
An 8-year-old boy was also attacked by an animal “believed to be a shark”off Bald Head Island’s South Beach on Sunday, Village Manager of Bald Head Island Chris McCall told CNN. The boy had non-life threatening injuries and puncture wounds on his leg.
And on June 10, Austin Reed was bitten by an animal he thinks was a shark while swimming at Ocean Isle Beach, WWAY reports. The 19-year-old received a “deep tooth bite” on his foot, his grandmother said, and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
It’s hard to get in the ocean and not at least think about the possibility of a shark attack. But how worried about this should you be-and what can you do to stay safe this summer?
Shark attacks actually aren’t that common in the U.S.
Shark attacks make headlines because they’re so terrifying-but there were only 32 unprovoked shark attacks in the U.S. in 2018, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File. An unprovoked attack means that the shark was in its natural habitat and the person didn’t deliberately do anything to upset it.
Worldwide, there were 66 unprovoked shark attacks in 2018. Of those, four were fatal. When you think about how many people are in the ocean on a daily basis during warmer months, your odds of getting attacked by a shark any given time you go in the ocean are pretty low.
Still, there are a few things you can do to lower the odds a shark attack will happen to you.
First, know this: Shark attacks are “really a case of mistaken identity,” says James Sulikowski, PhD, a professor of marine science at the University of New England. “We don’t look or taste like what they eat,” he says. “When sharks do interact with humans, people are typically in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
You can lessen your risk by doing these things:
Try to avoid wearing shiny things
That means jewelry, rings, and reflective stuff on your bathing suit. These can look like bait fish, which sharks do like to eat, Sulikowski says. “If you remove the shiny items, it helps a lot,” he adds.
“We ask people to avoid wearing jewelry,” adds John Carlson, PhD, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries shark expert. “Like a fishing lure that is designed to mimic a wounded fish, jewelry flashes in the water which could attract a shark thinking the jewelry is a wounded fish.”
Stay away from people fishing
Again, sharks like bait fish and bait fish are used by people fishing. If you’re swimming in areas where people are fishing, the odds are higher that sharks are in the vicinity.
Don’t swim at dusk or dawn
Sharks are the most active during this time because there’s a “changeover” in types of fish they like to eat, Sulikowski says. Visibility can also be a little murkier, making it more likely they’ll mistake you for a fish.
Don’t swim in murky water
It’s already possible that a shark could mistake you for a fish-when you’re swimming in water that’s silty or murky, the odds are even higher. “With the reduced visibility, the shark could mistake a human for its natural prey,” Carlson says.
Steer clear of shark ‘hot spots’
Some areas are just known for attracting sharks. It’s just common sense to avoid swimming in those, Sulikowski says.
Stay calm
If you happen to see a shark in the water, don’t panic. “The last thing you want to do is freak out,” Sulikowski says. “Keep an eye on where it is and exit the water as soon as possible.”
It’s not exactly comforting when you’re chilling in the ocean next to Jaws, but Sulikowski says sharks are usually just curious and checking you out.
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