Another NC shark bite – this time, in Ocracoke Island

A shark up to 7 feet long bit a man swimming on Ocracoke Island on Wednesday, the seventh shark attack in North Carolina in less than a month.

The victim was conscious and in a stable condition before he was flown to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville so he could be treated for bites on his rib cage, hip, lower leg and both hands. He is in his late 60s.

The man was swimming near a lifeguard station in the National Park Service day-use area at 12:10 p.m. when he encountered the shark, which pulled him underwater, according to a Hyde County news release.

He and his adult son, who was not injured, were swimming in waist-deep water 35-40 feet offshore, farther out than most people, Hyde County spokeswoman Sarah Johnson said.

After the attack, the man managed to swim into knee-deep water closer to shore and lifeguards met him there, Johnson said.

For the Fourth of July weekend, Hyde County Emergency Medical Services will have two ambulances available with a third on call, the news release said. Johnson said those preparations were made before the shark attack.

Sharks have also attacked two people in South Carolina in recent weeks.

On Tuesday evening, a 12-year-old boy suffered a minor shark bite in Isle of Palms County Park in South Carolina. His name has not been released.

Lifeguards at Isle of Palms go off duty at 6 p.m., park manager Cynthia Wilson said. The boy and his mother approached lifeguards on the beach while they were packing up, around 6:05 p.m.

His leg injuries were “very likely” caused by a shark, Wilson said. Lifeguards administered first aid, and the fire department was called, but firefighters did not need to treat the boy further.

His mother was advised to take him to a medical center for more treatment.

Lifeguards have not changed their safety procedures in response to the attack, Wilson said.

This story was originally published July 1, 2015 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Another NC shark bite – this time, in Ocracoke Island."