'Avoid late night swims': Woman seriously injured after New Zealand shark attack in knee-deep water
A woman was seriously injured after authorities said she was attacked by a shark early Monday in shallow New Zealand waters.
Southland Police reported the attack took place about 2 a.m. in an estuary in Riverton, a coastal town in the country's southeast section.
According to a Facebook post from the department, a 21-year-old woman was in "walking in knee-deep water" when a shark bit her causing a severe laceration to her leg requiring medical treatment.
The woman was taken to a hospital in serious condition local outlet RNZ reported.
How common are fatal shark attacks? 2 women die from shark bites in less than a week
Possible sevengill shark attack
It was not immediately known what type of shark attacked the woman.
But officials said they suspect "the culprit is possibly a sevengill shark," which they said are present in the estuary.
'Avoid late-night swims'
According to police, the "time of day is a possible factor" in the attack.
Riverton is "a popular holiday destination," police said, and asked anyone entering the water there to follow safety guidelines "and avoid late-night swims."
What is a sevengill shark?
According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), sevengill sharks have been responsible for five known unprovoked attacks (not including the suspected Monday attack) on people since the 16th Century.
They have thick bodies with black and white spots, wide, blunt snouts and a single small dorsal fin and have seven gill slits instead of five gill slits like most sharks, according to ISAF, the globally documented database for confirmed shark attacks.
The fish can grow to 10 feet long and are found in every ocean except the north Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
Each year, according to ISAF, the world averages 70 documented shark attacks.
About 10 fatal attacks are reported every year.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for Paste BN. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.