OCRACOKE ISLAND, N.C. (WAVY) – A swimmer was bitten by a shark on Ocracoke Island Wednesday afternoon.
Justin Gibbs with Hyde County EMS confirms the report was called in around 12:30 p.m. from a lifeguard stand. According to the National Park Service, when rangers and lifeguards responded, they found a 68-year-old man who had been attacked by a shark on his lower torso, hip, left leg and both hands. The man who was visiting from Massachusetts was swimming about 30 feet offshore with his adult son when a grey shark, six or seven feet in length, pulled him under the water.
“The individual was swimming out past the first breaker when he actually bumped into the shark. That’s when the shark bit him and pulled him under,” Gibbs said.
Officials say there were a lot of people in the water and at the beach at the time. No one else was injured.
Click the player below to listen to a 911 call made following the attack:
The victim, Andrew Costello, was treated at the scene, then taken by ambulance to the Ocracoke Airport, where he was then flown to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, NC. He is in fair condition, said the hospital.
Costello released a statement regarding his condition July 2.
“I’m recovering after a frightening and painful shark attack that occurred on July 1. I feel very fortunate to have survived thanks to the incredible assistance I received from medical personnel on the beach, both those on duty and vacation. I am receiving the best care at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, N.C. where I was airlifted yesterday. I want to thank everyone from the Ocracoke National Park Service lifeguards to the EMTs and hospital medical staff for their professionalism and excellent care,” Costello wrote.
Costello’s surgeon at Vidant Medical Center, Dr. Eric Toschlog, released a statement regarding his condition a day after the attack.
“Mr. Costello received a major, but non-lethal shark bite to his thigh on July 1. He was transferred to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, N.C. via air ambulance, where a team of emergency physicians and trauma surgeons was standing by to provide the proper treatment associated with these types of injuries. While his injuries will require multiple additional operations, as of July 2, he has been upgraded to good condition. As a Level I trauma center, Vidant Medical Center has the expertise and facility to treat severe injuries such as Mr. Costello’s, and we are optimistic that he will make a full recovery,” Toschlog wrote.
10 On Your Side also spoke to a couple who saw the victim moments after he was attacked.
“When we saw the gentleman being helped on the beach, nobody was panicking. Nobody was screaming,” Lynette Holman from Boone, N.C. told WAVY.com. “He was very calm. He didn’t’ look pale. Once they laid him down on the beach, I could see the wound on his leg. I saw that it was an open wound.”
Philip Holman says he and the couple’s 10-year-old son Liam were about 150 feet from the victim. Meanwhile his wife Lynette and their 14 year-old daughter Claudia were on the beach.
“I called to my son probably by the time I looked back out to the beach I got more concerned. I went out and got him. He was asking me what was going on. I just said come on in. Come on in. (I) grabbed him, picked him up and grabbed him out of the water,” Philip said.
The Holman’s say they were aware of the other six prior shark attacks in the state, but that didn’t stop them from enjoying time away from their home in Boone.
“You just need to be aware of your surroundings and I think we were diligent about that and certainly fell back very quickly to get Liam out of the water. I don’t think people need to live in fear of being at the beach knowing that this is quite rare,” Lynette said.
Hyde County EMS says it will have two ambulances at the ready, with a third on call, for the Fourth of July weekend. National Park Service officials say they will post signs on the lifeguard stands and at visitor centers alerting people of what happened. They are also sending a warning to swimmers. Officials say the water is warm and that draws bait fish. With bait fish comes sharks, so they want anyone who plans to be in the Atlantic Ocean this summer to be careful.
Document: National Park Service warns visitors of recent shark incidents
This is the seventh attack along the North Carolina coast so far this year. Stay with WAVY for updates.
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