The Fourth of July turned into a nightmare for beachgoers around South Padre Island, Texas, after at least two swimmers were bitten by sharks, authorities said.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reported that two people were bitten by what was believed to be the same shark, and that two others also had encounters with the same shark but were not seriously injured. The two injured were taken to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, Texas. One was later flown by helicopter to another hospital, the department said. Their conditions have not been confirmed and their names have not been released.
Officers were called to the scene at around 11am local time on Thursday after receiving reports of an injured man. Severe shark bites It happened near the 4100 block of Gulf Boulevard, according to a release from the South Padre Island Police Department. South Padre Island Fire and Police Department personnel treated the victim at the scene for a shark bite to the leg, then transported him to a nearby hospital.
Also, shortly before 11 a.m., video obtained by CBS News showed police rushing to the scene of a woman whose left leg had been bitten by a shark while she was swimming.
The video shows good Samaritans and paramedics pulling the woman from the water and applying a tourniquet to her leg to control the bleeding, as the fish can be seen swimming back and forth near the shore.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game warden Capt. Chris Dowdy told The Associated Press that authorities believe a single shark about 6 feet long was to blame.
Dr. Kelsey Banks, an associate research scientist at the Center for Sport Fish Science and Conservation at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, told CBS News in an email that the video posted to social media suggests a “larger shark species.”
“Large coastal species are known to increase feeding and remain closer to shore prior to major weather disturbances,” Banks wrote.
Authorities quickly deployed drones, boats and helicopters to search for the shark, and a Coast Guard lieutenant confirmed to CBS News that the city said it was considering closing the beach to the public.
South Padre Island is a 113-mile-long barrier island off the southern tip of Texas known for its resorts and beaches.
— Manuel Bojorquez contributed to this report.
