Shark attacks reported in North and South Carolina

A man from Charlotte, N.C., and an out-of-state vacationer were reportedly bitten by sharks Friday in separate incidents at beaches in the Carolinas.

One of the incidents was in Avon, N.C., a small coastal town in the Outer Banks, about one mile from the Avon Fishing Pier. A 47-year-old man was bitten around 11:41 a.m., according to a statement released by the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. He was treated for injuries to his right leg and lower back at the scene, then transported by ambulance and airflight to Norfolk General Hospital in Virginia.

The man is from Charlotte, multiple sources told WBTV, the Observer’s media partner.

The last known encounter with a shark in the National Seashore area was in 2011 on Ocracoke Island, according to the statement.

In South Carolina, a man was bitten by a shark while swimming in the surf off Hunting Island about 11 a.m. Friday, according to the Lady’s Island-St. Helena Fire District. The man noticed a 4-foot shark swimming around him and yelled but was then bitten by a second shark he had not seen, said district spokesman Scott Harris.

When first responders arrived, the man was on the beach with serious bleeding. He was transported by ambulance to Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

The man was vacationing in the area from Pennsylvania. He told EMS the shark appeared to be about 10 inches in diameter.

Dawn Dawson-House, a spokesperson for the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, said she did not know if the beach was closed and could not release further information.

Friday’s reported attacks follow four others earlier this month in North Carolina: one in Ocean Isle, two in Oak Island where two teenagers lost limbs and one on Wednesday in Surf City.

Observer staff writer Paige Ladisic and The Island Packet in Hilton Head contributed.

This story was originally published June 27, 2015 at 3:01 AM with the headline "Shark attacks reported in North and South Carolina."