Shark attacks have been reported across large portions of the U.S. coastline over the past year, with the highest number of incidents occurring in Florida and Hawaii.
So far in 2024, there have been no reports of fatal attacks, just two incidents leaving the victims with non-life-threatening injuries.
A 46-year-old male swimmer was attacked off the coast of California last week. The man suffered bites to his torso, left arm, and hand in the incident at around 9 am on Sunday about 100 yards from the shore in Del Mar.
City officials said that the man was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla with "injuries that are significant but not believed to be life-threatening."
The beach was closed to swimmers and surfers following the incident and remains shut until 9 am on June 4.
"In accordance with protocols developed by the California Marine Safety Chiefs Association and the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach, lifeguards have posted signs and closed Del Mar beaches for swimming and surfing one mile in both directions from the incident - roughly from 6th Streets to North Beach - and have notified neighboring jurisdictions," officials said.
Meanwhile, a 65-year-old man was bitten while spearfishing 20 miles off the Charleston coast in April, according to Coast Guard Sector Charleston.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Vincent Moreno told local news outlet WSCS that the man applied a tourniquet to his injury following the incident and was subsequently taken to hospital.
Twenty-two recorded fatal shark attacks have occurred in American waters since 2003, with most occurring off the coasts of California and Hawaii.
The latest fatal shark attack was recorded off the coast of Maui, Hawaii, in December. The island's police force said a 39-year-old man from Haiku had been injured near the beach at Pa'ia.
Maui police said ocean safety officers transported the man by jet ski to the shore, where first aid was performed before he was taken to a hospital on the island. He later succumbed to his injuries. The following day, the Maui County website identified the victim as Jason Carte.
While many of the shark attacks involved individuals swimming in the Pacific or the Gulf of Mexico, there have also been deadly encounters on the Atlantic Coast, although these are far rarer.
In July 2020, the first recorded fatal shark attack in Maine occurred around 20 yards from the shore of Bailey Island, south of Brunswick.
The victim was identified as Julie Dimperio Holowach, 63, who had been swimming with her daughter when the incident occurred, according to local media. Holowach was said to have died in the water, while her daughter was uninjured and able to swim to shore.
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Reported shark attacks in 2024, according to trackingsharks.com:
- 02/06/24 - Del Mar, California - 47-year-old male swimmer suffered injuries to chest, left arm and hand.
- 03/02/24 - Kualoa Beach, Hawaii - Swimmer suffered lacerations to left foot.
- 03/04/24 - Waikiki, Hawaii - Tiger shark bit the tail of a surfer's board. No injuries were reported.
- 04/05/24 - Charleston - 65-year-old man bitten by shark while spearfishing about 20 miles off Charleston's coast.
There have been no fatal shark attacks recorded in the U.S. so far in 2024.
Reported shark attacks in 2023, according to trackingsharks.com:
- 01/08/23 - Key West, Florida - 34-year-old male swimmer suffered lacerations to his thigh, knee and calf.
- 02/19/23 - Hobe Sound Beach, Florida - Male surfer bitten on left foot by suspected blacktip shark. One toe severed.
- 02/19/23 - Kihei, Hawaii - Shark bit the back of an inflatable paddle board. No injuries reported.
- 03/12/23 - Pepper Beach, Florida - 36-year-old male bodysurfer bitten on the right foot. Stitches required.
- 03/19/23 - Anaehoomalu Bay, Hawaii - Swimmer suffered lacerations to back of left knee and left hand. Two sharks involved in incident.
- 03/19/23 - Kaiwi Channel, Hawaii - Swimmer suffered puncture wounds to chest and abdomen. Two sharks were involved in the incident.
- 03/25/23 - Key West, Florida - 67-year-old male kite surfer bitten on calf.
- 04/09/23 - Kewalo Basin, Hawaii - Male surfer suffered severe injuries to lower right leg, resulting in loss of foot.
- 04/11/23 - Virginia Key, Florida - A windsurfer bitten on the leg.
- 04/26/23 - Manatee County Beach, Florida - Man suffered minor injuries when bitten on leg while spearfishing.
- 05/05/23 - Plantation Key, Florida - 22-year-old male bitten on foot while spearfishing.
- 05/11/23 - Fort Pierce, Florida - 13-year-old female bitten while swimming.
- 05/14/23 - Wild Dunes, South Carolina - 24-year-old bitten on right leg.
- 05/18/23 - Grassy Key, Florida - male bitten while spearfishing.
- 05/20/23 - Summerland Key, Florida - a landed shark bit a 35-year-old man.
- 05/19/23 - Marathon, Florida - a 20-year-old male bitten on the leg by a bull shark while spearfishing.
- 05/21/23 - Stone Harbor Beach, New Jersey - 15-year-old female surfer was dragged under water after falling off the surfboard.
- 06/23/23 - Everglades National Park, Florida - Shark bit man's hand.
- 07/03/23 - Robert Moses State Park, Long Island - 15-year-old female swimmer's leg bitten.
- 07/03/23 - Fire Island - 15-year-old male surfer bitten on foot.
- 07/04/23 - Sailors Haven - 50-year-old female swimmer bitten on upper thigh. Taken to hospital for several two-inch deep puncture wounds.
- 07/04/23 - Fire Island Pines - 49-year-old man bitten on right hand by estimated four-foot shark.
- 07/04/23 - Quoque Village beach - 47-year-old man bitten on right knee.
- 07/15/23 - New Smyrna Beach, Florida - 48-year-old male bitten on the back.
- 07/15/23 - New Smyrna Beach, Florida - 21-year-old male surfer bitten on the foot.
- 07/21/23 - Sea Pines Beach, South Carolina - male body-boarder bitten on foot.
- 07/29/23 - St Petersburg, Florida - Woman bitten on rear and stomach.
- 07/30/23 - Bean Point Beach, Florida - Man in his 20s bitten on his lower left leg, suffering reported major blood loss.
- 07/31/23 - New Smyrna Beach, Florida - 22-year-old male bitten on left foot.
- 07/31/23 - Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina - 10-year-old male suffered injuries to foot.
- 08/07/23 - Rockaway Beach, New York - 65-year-old female swimmer bitten by shark above knee and suffered large blood loss.
- 08/23/23 - Oak Island Beach, North Carolina - Nine-year-old swimmer bitten on the shoulder.
- 09/04/23 - Ponce Inlet, Florida - 37-year-old female bitten on right foot while wading.
- 09/04/24 - Ponce Inlet, Florida - Male surfer in 30s bitten on left hand.
- 09/11/12 - Satellite Beach, Florida - Male surfer suffered injury to back.
- 09/12/23 - New Smyrna Beach, Florida - Male surfer bitten on the face after falling off board.
- 09/18/23 - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - Male suffered minor injuries.
- 10/01/23 - Wildcat Beach, California - 52-year-old male, Flexis Louis N'jai, died in fatal attack.
- 10/02/23 - Ku'au Bay, Hawaii - Shark bit tail of a surfboard. No injuries reported.
- 10/13/23 - Linda Mar, Pacifica State Beach, California - 52-year-old male surfer bitten on leg in suspected shark attack.
- 10/15/23 - Hanalei Bay, Hawaii - Male surfer suffered deep lacerations and puncture wounds to left leg from tiger shark.
- 10/25/23 - Puaʻena Point Beach Park, Hawaii - Surfer suffered lacerations to right thigh from tiger shark estimated to be eight feet long.
- 11/05/23 - Juno Beach, Florida- 66-year-old male swimmer bitten on left arm.
- 12/30/23 - Paia Bay, Hawaii - 39-year-old male swimmer killed.
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