Warning issued to North Carolina beach visitors after suspected shark attack
Authorities in North Carolina are investigating a suspected shark attack after a person suffered major injuries swimming along a southern beach in the state, local first responders said.
The incident took place May 28 at Sunset Beach in Brunswick County, just south of Ocean Isle Beach near the South Carolina state line.
Just after 11 a.m., The Sunset Beach Fire Department reported, firefighters and paramedics responded to the beach for a report of a person who suffered a leg injury while swimming near the 31st Street access point.
"Upon arrival, Beach Rescue personnel provided medical care to the injured swimmer, who was conscious and alert," Sunset Beach fire Chief Richard Childres said in a press release.
Sunset Beach shark attack investigation
The swimmer was taken to a medical facility to be treated for his injuries, Childres wrote in the release.
At the time of the release, Childres said, the full extent of the victim's injuries remained "unknown," and medical professionals were "working to assess what caused the injury."
On June 3, Sunset Beach fire Captain Paul Brown confirmed to Paste BN the adult male was a tourist and, according to investigators, the swimmer suffered a leg injury, but could not say one way or another whether a shark was officially responsible for it.
Additional information about the incident was not immediately provided by officials.
But firefighters were encouraging beach visitors to be cautious.
"Marine life, including sharks, are natural inhabitants of these waters, and its crucial to take precaution to minimize potential risk," the release continued.
Paste BN has reached out to Childres for more information.
Shark bite could mark state's first encounter of 2025
If confirmed, the attack could be the state’s first reported shark encounter with a human in 2025.
According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), 47 people were bit in an unprovoked attack last year and of them, four fatalities took place, including one in the United States.
Each year, according to ISAF, the world averages 70 documented shark attacks.
On average, 10 fatal attacks are reported each year.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for Paste BN. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.