A possible shark bite has been reported in a North Carolina river.
An unidentified man was wakeboarding with his family July 22 in the Neuse River in Craven County when he was bitten by what may have been a bull shark.
The man and son were in the water just before 6 p.m. when his son felt something brush up against him. A few seconds later, his father was bitten on his left calf.
The two were able to climb back into the vessel and apply a tourniquet to the wound while the man’s daughter alerted emergency services. After being redirected to another 911 service, they were told to head to Cherry Branch Ferry Docks.
Havelock EMS staff reported the injured man was able to leave his vessel under his own power and walk up the boat ramp.
The man was taken to the CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern, but no updates have been posted. While no photos of the man’s wounds have been made public, local experts say a bull shark may have been involved.
Bull sharks are diadromous, meaning they can swim between salt and fresh water. They have been known to use the bump-and-bite technique, where the shark bumps prey and then attacks.
Bull sharks often hunt in murky water and have been found in rivers and lakes that connect to salt water. If confirmed as a bull shark attack, it would be considered rare for the area.
Spearfisherman fights hammerhead shark
A spearfisherman had a boisterous run-in July 19 with a hammerhead shark in Australia.
Reece Pla was diving with friends off Mission Beach near Otter Reef when Pla shot a large red emperor and carried it back to the boat. After asking the designated driver, Darren Negro, to check on their friends, and without reloading his speargun, Pla hopped back in the water.
As soon as he hit the water, he was face-to-face with an estimated 10-foot-long hammerhead shark.
Pla said he slammed the empty speargun down the shark’s throat as it charged him. The shark thrashed about and hit Pla in the chest with its hammerhead and eventually ripped the gun from Pla’s hands.
Thankfully, Negro saw the event unfold. He reached for Pla’s outstretched hand and began stabbing the shark with the tip of another speargun.
Eventually the shark grabbed Pla’s fin and ripped it off. While the shark focused on the fin, Negro was able to pull Pla onto the boat.
The duo quickly scooped up the other two spearfishermen and left the area.
Pla felt it was important to share information on the incident as there have been several shark attacks in the country this year. He also highlights the importance of having a designated driver and not spearfishing alone. He believes if he had been alone, he would not have survived.
All locations have been marked on the 2020 Shark Attack Map.
