Shark attacks 14-year-old at NC beach, leaving him with ‘pretty severe bite’, cops say

A shark attacked a 14-year-old at a North Carolina beach, giving him a serious bite that required a tourniquet, police said.

The incident happened at around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 23 at Onslow County’s beach access site 4, according to North Topsail Beach Police Chief William K. Younginer.

Police officers and EMS were finishing up an unrelated call in the parking lot when beachgoers flagged them down about a teen who had been attacked by a shark, the chief told McClatchy News June 24.

Bystanders applied towels to the bite until first responders arrived, according to police. The teen had a “pretty severe bite” on his leg that required officers to apply a tourniquet, Younginer said.

He was taken to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune for treatment and is reportedly recovering in good condition, according to the chief.

“The bystanders did a great job getting pressure on the wound,” Younginer said, adding that the nearby first responders also made a difference in getting the teen help quickly.

Officials don’t know what type of shark attacked the teen.

Onslow County has recorded 10 unprovoked shark attacks since 1935, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File.

The town of North Topsail Beach is about a 45-mile drive northeast from Wilmington.

This story was originally published June 24, 2024 at 4:36 PM with the headline "Shark attacks 14-year-old at NC beach, leaving him with ‘pretty severe bite’, cops say."