On July 4th, a series of shark encounters injured four people in the waters off South Padre Island, Texas. Texas Game Warden Capt. Chris Dowdy reported four separate incidents, including two bites, to ABC Weslaco affiliate KRGV.
One of the incidents involved a “severe” shark bite to the leg, reported to the South Padre Island Police Department around 11 a.m. local time. The victim was treated at the scene by first responders from the South Padre Island police and fire departments before being transported to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville.
Footage captured by a beachgoer witnessing the incident showed a shark swimming near the shore close to where the attack occurred.
Dowdy confirmed to KRGV that a second individual was bitten by the shark, while another was grazed and a fourth person was injured while trying to ward off the shark. The second bite victim was also taken to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville. One of the two bite victims was subsequently flown out for further treatment.
Officials initially reported four separate shark bites before clarifying the nature of the incidents.
Dowdy informed the station that the shark has escaped into open waters and there are no plans to contain it at this time. Following the Thursday morning attack, the South Padre Island Beach patrol, along with the fire and police departments, were patrolling the shoreline and using drones.
Authorities issued a statement acknowledging that “shark encounters of this nature are not a common occurrence in Texas.” They explained that when shark bites do occur, they are usually a case of mistaken identity by sharks looking for food.
Authorities have advised beachgoers to be aware of the presence of “large schools of bait near the shore, as this typically indicates a predator is nearby.” They also suggest calmly exiting the water if a shark is spotted and waiting for the animal to pass.
