Two swimmers bitten at IOP
Beachgoers told to stay out of water after likely shark attacks
By Brian Hicks
The Post and Courier
Isle of Palms police Sgt. Jamey Meekins advises beachgoers Will McMinoway and his daughter Brooke of Lexington, Ky., to stay out of the water Thursday after two people were bitten, likely by sharks, within a three-hour period.
Ken Hawkins/The Post and Courier
Beachgoers told to stay out of water after likely shark attacks
ISLE OF PALMS — There was no scream, no great disturbance in the water, only a young boy walking out of the surf, blood running down his leg.
Just after 2 p.m. Thursday, a 9-year-old boy was bitten on the leg, most likely by a shark, north of the county park's public swimming area.
About two and a half hours later, a 30-year-old man in the water screamed for help about four blocks from the first attack. He lifted his right leg from the water and blood squirted from a 3-inch, open wound on the outside of the man's ankle. Spartanburg surgeon Rich Reinhardt said he saw a row of bite marks above the injury.
While authorities shied away from calling the incidents shark bites, Reinhardt said he was sure the injuries he saw were inflicted by a shark.
Somebody reported seeing a 4-foot fish in the water at the time the boy was hurt. Reinhardt said he didn't see anything unusual when the second person was bitten.
"It wasn't like 'Jaws' where people just see this thing swimming around," Fire Chief Ann Graham said.
Isle of Palms City Administrator Linda Lovvorn Tucker said authorities don't know if the injuries were caused by a fish and they don't know that the fish was a shark.
Still, county park lifeguards and the city cleared the water about 200 yards to either side of the pier for 45 minutes after the boy's injury, Tucker said.
When the second swimmer was injured at 4:35 p.m., they asked beachgoers to stay out of the water for the rest of the day.
Charleston County sheriff's deputies flew over the area late in the day and plan to scan the water from the air again at first light today, Tucker said. Personnel will also patrol the beach.
"If we see anything at all that concerns us, we will be exercising prudence," Tucker said, and ask people to stay out of the water.
Graham said they're attempting to get in touch with a Department of Natural Resources marine biologist to "find out why this happened."
The boy, Chase Crawford, suffered injuries to his lower leg and foot. It wasn't immediately known where Crawford lives. He was in the operating room Thursday night at Medical University Hospital.
Barb Rotter of St. Louis saw adults run to Crawford and carry the boy up on the beach. It was as close as she's ever been to a shark attack.
"And it was a little too close," Rotter said.
Several people said they were swimming close to the boy, who was about 10 yards off the beach, in the moments before the attack.
"I was close, I was right behind him," said Morgan Smith, who's from West Virginia. "I saw them carrying him, but I didn't see the shark."
Scott Wilkerson of Newberry said he heard people saying the shark "bit him and then twisted him." Wilkerson had just walked out of the water.
"I had just come in," he said.
Ken Hawkins/The Post and Courier
The second injured swimmer was identified by his sister as Noah Green of Nebraska. His sister said his leg may be broken. He was listed in stable condition Thursday night at East Cooper Regional Medical Center.
Reinhardt said Green was in about chest-deep water when he started screaming that he needed help. Reinhardt and others on the beach pulled Green to shore and Reinhardt applied pressure to the bleeding wound and put a tourniquet on the man's leg.
"We've been coming here for 15 years. To have two (bites) in one day, it's freaky," Reinhardt said. He said he and his three children would be "spending a little more time at the pool."
On what was one of the hottest — if not the hottest — days of the year, the beach was packed with folks, many of whom were heading into the water to beat a triple-digit heat index.
The heat eventually began to overtake fear of the water. Heather Rotter said that even though she saw the attack on the child, she wasn't staying on shore much longer.
"Oh, I'll go back in," she said.
And Smith said she was counting the minutes until the police reopened the beach for swimming.
"It was an accident," Smith said. "I don't think the shark was intentionally trying to hurt him."
Noah Haglund contributed to this story.
Reach Nita Birmingham at 745-5858 or nbirmingham@postandcourier.com.
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charlene68 (anonymous) says...
People are all the time fishing from that pier, and sometimes the wateri s not really that deep at the end of the pier, they fish with cut fish and everything else bloody, sharks like blood, so we have to put 2 and 2 together and know to stay away from the pier when you swim , if they are fishing, they catch baby sharks there all the time, and naturally where there is a baby there is a momma. It would not take me that long to figure it out. but if you come back with half a leg, then I guess you learn a valuable lesson. I personally don,t like salt water for that reason.
August 10, 2007 at 8:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlene68 (anonymous) says...
I think I need to stop being in a hurry and get my typing right !
August 10, 2007 at 8:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chalmers (anonymous) says...
I clearly saw several sharks around 1:00 pm yesterday between 4th and 5th avenues in about 1 foot of water. Fins were sticking out of the water. The tide at just been low and was coming back in, looked like they had gotten trapped by the sandbar and the shore with the tide coming back in. There were masses of people watching the sharks, some parents (tourists) were actually letting their children go right into the water where the sharks were, knowing what was happening...they said they didn't want their children to be afraid and for us to "shutup" and not tell their children that there were sharks around. Crazy!
August 10, 2007 at 9:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlene68 (anonymous) says...
Chalmers, the people that said "shutup" were people that must have gotten bit in the head by the shark.... they are actually putting their child in danger by letting them get that close, people like that make me wonder what rock they came from , if you know what I mean?
August 10, 2007 at 9:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hawneena (anonymous) says...
Don't people know that you can't swim with the sharks like you can with dolphins. Sharks don't "mean" to do anything except eat, and they will bite most anything. Any person that would knowingly put their kid's in the water with sharks has doo-doo for brains.
August 10, 2007 at 10:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chalmers (anonymous) says...
We called the IOP police to report the sharks to have someone come help warn people, but they did not arrive until several hours later. Once the beach patrol did get there, they did a good job of getting these idiot people out of the water. However, once the police moved further down the beach, this one woman took her kids right back in the water as she was telling all us that this was a big over reaction. I kid you not, there were still sharks just 20 yards away as she was taking her kids back into the water.
August 10, 2007 at 10:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nstroman (anonymous) says...
Don't you just love the way the "authorities" try to play this down and don't want to scare off any tourists. Heaven forbid we lose tourist money because we have to close the beach. Just like when ever there is crime in the area they always try to play that down. Forget trying to keep people safe, it's all about money.
August 10, 2007 at 10:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iopturbo (anonymous) says...
everyone knows that there are sharks in the water. I go swimming everyday in the ocean, right here on the IOP. they are wasting money flying over the beach and creating a bunch of noise, I didn't like being waken up that early. so a bonnetthead or sand shark nibbled on a tourist, big deal. sharks do not like to eat humans, that is why people survive shark attacks, the shark spit them out. Punch it in the nose grab a band-aid and move on.
August 10, 2007 at 10:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
marlow (anonymous) says...
I frequently go to IOP and recently I've seen a lot of people fishing from the beach. Does anyone agree with me that this practice should be prohibited in areas full of people? Not only do the hooks cause a potential for injury, but throwing BAIT into the water to lure in animals just doesn't seem like a good idea. Perhaps there's some study out there that proves beach fishing doesn't increase the risk for a predator-fish attack, but it seems like plain common sense to me that it just isn't a good idea. What really bothered me was seeing a man cast his hook about 20 feet away from where his OWN CHILDREN were playing. It made me wonder if he also encourages his kids to take candy from strangers.
August 10, 2007 at 10:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CherrystoneWeims (anonymous) says...
"in about 1 foot of water. Fins were sticking out of the water. The tide at just been low and was coming back in, looked like they had gotten trapped by the sandbar"
They most likely were not sharks if there were that many swimming around. Small stingrays will swim back and forth along the sandbars when the tide turns eating the small mollusks on the bottom. Their "wings" will frequently stick out of the water like fins. I have seen many people freak out thinking they are sharks. I used to see them all of the time when I lived at Folly.
Has anyone looked into the possibility that these were Bluefish bites?? Bluefish can deliver quite a nasty bite and will come into shallow waters.
August 10, 2007 at 12:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nstroman (anonymous) says...
Marlo, I agree that surf fishing should not be allowed where people swim. I have seen people throw the bait out into the water where folks (children) are swimming and then cast their line out. Lets use some common sence here. Dah....we are in the sharks territory. I'll be curious to see what Dr's say about these injuries-the victims have been hospitalized, that menas they needed more than band-aides.
August 10, 2007 at 12:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Edwin435 (anonymous) says...
Marlow,
I dont agree with you at all. Fishermen have the same access to the beach as other people do. They generally wont fish in a crowded swimming area as this will disrupt the fishing. This is not to say that some do or will fish like that. Swimmers need to pay attention to where they are swimming. As for bait in the water, there is always bait in the water. Sharks hunt continuously and so other flesh eating fish so there are always traces of blood in the water. The same can be said about swimmers. They place scent in the water just like the fishermen. Please dont cast a net of blame on all of fisherman.
August 10, 2007 at 12:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jules (anonymous) says...
Iopturbo, band-aids don't cover broken/amputated limbs from shark bites. I wish it was that easy. So sorry the authorities woke you up early - they are trying to help us. Shark attacks are rare, but they happen. There are sharks in the water and unfortunately they sometimes bite and are much stronger than we are.
People just need to be awake of this & if they choose to go swimming in water where sharks are, they take that risk.
August 10, 2007 at 12:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kdn0307 (anonymous) says...
"It was an accident," Smith said. "I don't think the shark was intentionally trying to hurt him."
What an interesting if not rather ignorant comment... I suppose the shark should've taken a little more time and carefully thought about what its true intentions were before administering the "little love bites" that put two people in the hospital undergoing surgery. I wasn't aware that a shark had such a developed thought process. The culprit(s) in these two attacks obviously belonged to the group with the lower IQs. ;^p LOL
August 10, 2007 at 1:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
marlow (anonymous) says...
Edwin435,
I enjoy fishing myself, and I certainly was not intending to broadly categorize every fisherman into the group that bothers me. Quite the contrary....as you point out, true fishermen know better. They wouldn't need a law/ordinance to keep them from fishing in the middle of a pack of tourists. However, not everyone out there has the knowledge that you and other experienced/knowledgeable fishermen possess. It is to protect the public from those types of fishermen that perhaps prohibitions are necessary.
Additionally, I realize that even without people fishing from the beach, the risk of being injured by an ocean-dwelling animal is present. However, why exacerbate that risk? Especially on IOP, a place full of tourists who may not be aware of the risks inherent in beach activities.
My point was that there's a time and place for everything. Casting a reel among children and people who may not be aware of the potential for injury is neither the proper time nor the proper place.
August 10, 2007 at 1:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iopturbo (anonymous) says...
Jules do you fish? you ever held a shark? these are tiny sharks! the people walked out of the water. they did not have any amputated limbs. what are they going to do by flying around looking into the water? the water isn't crystal clear here. I can save them a lot of trouble and expense, you ready for this? there are sharks in the ocean. sometimes they bite. case closed move on.
August 10, 2007 at 2:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chalmers (anonymous) says...
Just came up from the beach, it is 2:30 on Friday. I live on Ocean Blvd and 3rd Ave. I spoke with both IOP beach patrol and a marine biologist who spotted a larger 6 foot shark in Breech Inlet. They also confirmed that the smaller ones in the surf at just 1-2 feet of water are NOT stingrays, but indeed smaller sharks that are 2-3 feet in length. Beach Patrol is out everywhere today warning people about them. I have lived on the IOP most of my life and have of course seen sharks before (they are always there) but you usually just don't see them like you can these last couple of days.
August 10, 2007 at 2:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kab1976 (anonymous) says...
Every time there is a shark "attack" anywhere, everyone freaks out. This is nature. And we shouldn't mess with Her. We were in this shark's territory and we need to respect that fact. The water at IOP is not clear and with the amount of people there during the summer, the sand is kicked up even more. Sharks do not have good eyesight and test their meals by taking a bite. That is why we humans never get eaten - we don't taste good. If people don't like the idea of sharks, don't go in, leave the waters of SC to those of us that enjoy it and know how to respect sharks and Mother Nature.
August 10, 2007 at 2:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chalmers (anonymous) says...
Exactly...kab1976 hit the nail on the head.
August 10, 2007 at 3:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jules (anonymous) says...
Good call, kab1976. I surf on IOP several times a week & got bit by something out there Wed. night. I'm sure it was a result of me kicking my feet & probably hit whatever it was. I also watched a man catch a 4 foot shark Tuesday night. The bite victims from yesterday were kicking around & the sharks we probably defending themselves. People need to realize they take that risk by entering the sharks territory.
August 10, 2007 at 3:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kg4kpg2 (anonymous) says...
kab1976 did hit it on the right on the head. From the responses I can see there are a lot of people who should be watching Shark Week and reading the International Shark Attack Files. The last time SC had a Fatal Shark attack was in 1852. From 1837 - 2006 there were 56 shark attacks. 16 in Horry, 5 in Beaufort, 4 in Georgetown, 7 in Charleston and 24 Unspecified. There were 2 fatalities in 1852, both in the unspecified area. Sharks do "taste test" and do not like the taste of humans, we are not on their meal list. Education is the best way to avoid an attack. The perfect way is to stay out of the sharks territory.
August 10, 2007 at 3:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hawneena (anonymous) says...
NN, that was a very crude remark.
August 10, 2007 at 3:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kg4kpg2 (anonymous) says...
Please do not misunderstand. My heart goes out to those who have been bitten. Education would have let them know to stay away from where people are fishing and that heavy rains and wind make the water more murky than it already is, therefore decreasing the visibility of the shark. The shark then relys on it's sense of movement or vibration, which when a person is splashing can be the same as a wounded fish. The shark has no way to know except to bite.
August 10, 2007 at 3:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlene68 (anonymous) says...
Well... whoever wants to can let it bite them, but Ichoose to stay out of salt water.
August 10, 2007 at 4:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iopturbo (anonymous) says...
that is great. the more people that choose to do that the less traffic I have to deal with to get home. have fun in the cement pond.
August 10, 2007 at 5:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Riored97 (anonymous) says...
Maybe NN's comment was delivered without tact, but he has a really good point. I surf the Washout and Folly area frequently, and I've brought women with me to the beach many occasions, and every female I know has refused to stay out of the water while on their menstrual cycle, despite my pleads to do so. I honestly believe that females entering the water on their cycle are not only putting themselves at great risk, but the people in water around them. Your body is consistently discharging blood and waste from the body, essentially "chumming" the water. Use common sense, just realize that once a month you'll just have to find something else to do besides swimming in the ocean
August 10, 2007 at 5:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chris50 (anonymous) says...
"Well... whoever wants to can let it bite them, but Ichoose to stay out of salt water."-charlene68
"Who the He** cares if the Kids are afraid of shark i would prefer for them to be just that ...SCARED!!!!!"-cvs
It's unfortunate that the exact sentiment that CVS conveys is the exact reason that people have this ridiculous fear of going into salt water. i am surfing all the time on Folly and you see sharks whenever the water is clear. they are always there. anytime you go into the ocean there are probably 10 within 20 yards of you. so taking a helicopter over IOP to look for them does absolutely nothing but make "johnny ohio" feel better.
I have friends that have the same silly "Jaws" fear of going into the water. It's an irrational fear of the unkown. i don't think it's very healthy to scare the kids so they never go into the water again.
Surf fisherman- (i'm one as well) it is ALWAYS a tourist i see plunking some cut shrimp on walmart zebco into the middle of people swimming. go down the beach to a less crowded area please. (man, i get worked up about that one all the time)
August 10, 2007 at 5:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
underdog (anonymous) says...
LOL @ chris50: "johnny ohio"
BRILLIANT!
August 10, 2007 at 5:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hawneena (anonymous) says...
Riored97, thanks for wording your comment in a proper and adult manner. What you said is true, but sharks have a keen sense of smell so people did to be aware of any open or oozing wounds anywhere on their bodies.
I blame those "Jaws" movies for creating alot of the fear that people have of the surf.
August 10, 2007 at 5:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iopturbo (anonymous) says...
chris what is wrong with a zebco 33 and some walmart chinese freezer burned shrimp :) cvs have fun with your scared kids.
August 10, 2007 at 5:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
NN (anonymous) says...
Here's another.....
parents had better learn to keep their little angels under closer watch, least one get swallowed up by Jaws.
August 10, 2007 at 6:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chris50 (anonymous) says...
cvs- i'm not trying to tell you what's best for your family. i just feel people should look at it logically- 56 shark bites since 1837 (as per the article). that number is statistically insignificant compared to all the other ways you can get hurt/killed. how many people got hurt in a car accident in the past month here in charleston? i'm sure it's a sight more than 56.
people bring sharks to the forefront of their fears, and don't even think for a moment that they might get hit head on by a drunk driver on the way home from the beach (which is a thousand times more likely).
i guess if there is even the slightest chance someone could get hurt, that activity should not be done. feel free to keep your family in a bubble, sounds like a lotta fun in there.
August 10, 2007 at 6:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
s63 (anonymous) says...
Someone commented and said "Typical naive attitude. Yeah, it was just trying to be friendly, Smith .. maybe it was trying to kiss him, you poor stupid woman." I think what the lady meant, is that she knew the shark wasn't trying to "eat him." Sharks commonly take "test bites." When they can't exactly tell what something is, they bite, and that tells them it is or is not a fish. If the shark was trying to "hurt him" he'd be gone.
This is why murky water is dangerous because sharks can see in it, so lots of "test bites" going on. And this is why on the discovery channel you see people free diving with sharks in crystal clear water. Sharks leave people alone when they can see that its not a fish. However, with all the people, splashing, tide coming in (stirring up sand), and the water around here isn't that clear to begin with, the shark probably couldn't tell that it wasn't a fish.
August 10, 2007 at 6:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BreezinIAm (anonymous) says...
Hmmm, my post was deleted so I can only assume it was seen as some sort of spam or guerilla marketing which it definitely wasn't meant to be.
Anyway it was a sincere question, so here it is again without the brand name:
Wondering if any of you swimmers, snorkelers, divers, surfers have ever tried using anti-shark technology. Go ahead and laugh any macho laughs, but it makes sense to me.
If this thing works (or another suggestion), I would consider it:
The ... is a small portable battery-powered generator that emits an elliptical electrical field around its wearer.
When a shark approaches, the field is detected in sensitive receptors known as the Ampullae of Lorenzini in its snout causing muscular spasms and temporary discomfort. Users say sharks turn away abruptly "as if they had been punched".
The Ampullae of Lorenzini are found in all predator sharks. The mild electrical impulses harm neither sharks nor bony fish, but the spasms in their noses become intolerable forcing sharks away from the area.
The ... is claimed to be effective at a range of up to 15 metres and batteries last up to four hours. Its dry weight is slightly over one kilogram.
The inventors of the technology say it does not affect any other marine life and has no known harmful effects on the shark or the wearer.
August 10, 2007 at 6:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
NN (anonymous) says...
hello cvs =) haweena didn't like my comment about not swimming when you're on the rag, so I had to give her another one.
haweena, when aunt flo comes to visit you next month, be my guest and dive on out at the beach. You'll be the next one in the paper that we'll be reading about.
August 10, 2007 at 6:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chris50 (anonymous) says...
cvs- thank you for putting me in my place and keeping it so classy in the process.
August 10, 2007 at 6:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
johnnyohio (anonymous) says...
GO BUCKS!!!!!!!!!
August 10, 2007 at 7 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chris50 (anonymous) says...
one too many t's in my last post
August 10, 2007 at 7:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hawneena (anonymous) says...
NN, it's not necessary to be rude. What you said is true, I just thought you could have stated it a little more tastefully. Some women get a little tired of all the nasty comments about our bodily functions over which we have no control. No offense, okay, I grew up with 2 nasty brothers. :)
BTW, I didn't flag your comment, so somebody else must have taken offense.
Also, I don't tempt the sharks. LOL
August 10, 2007 at 7:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chris50 (anonymous) says...
"NOT!!!!" -cvs
-who knew lame '80's sayings were making a comeback? i must be out of the loop.
-i heard that when you are on the internet, that the more times you repeat question marks and exclamation points, the more people will listen.
-i also heard that when you are trying to be funny on the internet, you should type out that you are laughing at your own joke in all caps. (it ensures that others will think its funny too)
i could go on all day, but i'd like to go get a beer. if this keeps up when i get back, i'm sure i'll have some more surly comments.
August 10, 2007 at 8:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dunnonuttin (anonymous) says...
Ok Chris50 and cvs lets kiss and make-up. *group hug*
August 10, 2007 at 10:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
IOPvacationer (anonymous) says...
I live in Beaufort but vacation at IOP and will be there later today. Any more news on "shark" bites?
August 11, 2007 at 8:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jk (anonymous) says...
Has anyone heard how magnets repel sharks? Check out this site
http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blo...
Any comments?
August 11, 2007 at 9:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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