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A 12-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy gravely injured in two separate shark attacks in North Carolina over the weekend continue to recover.
The mother of the boy released a statement to WECT:
I would like to thank everyone who has cared for my son, from the people who saved him through their quick actions on the beach, to the transport crew, emergency department team, doctors and staff here at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. I appreciate all their efforts.
The teen lost an arm after being bitten by a shark about 20 yards from shore. He was in waist-deep water, officials said Monday.
He was upgraded from critical condition to fair after surgery to fully amputate his left arm just below his shoulder, WECT reported.
He was the second attack Sunday afternoon.
About an hour and a half earlier, the 12-year-old girl was bitten. Her left arm was surgically amputated below her elbow. She also sustained leg injuries. Her condition was upgraded to good Monday.
The Oak Island beach was closed after the attack, but reopened monday.
Despite that, a shark expert said he thought it would have been better to keep the beach closed.
Dr. George Burgess told WECT, "It would be prudent for the beach to be closed today (Monday)." He said something was attracting sharks to the beach, and if it was something ecological, it could have continued, putting swimmers at risk.
Officials are patrolling the beach by helicopter looking for sharks and are relaying any sightings to beach goers via emergency personnel on the ground. Oak Island has no lifeguards on its beaches.
Tuesday, there were reports of five to six sharks at Bald Head Island, WWAY reported. Bald Head Island is off the coast of Oak Island.
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