Shark believed to have attacked 4 people in waters off South Padre Island on Fourth of July

By Tristan Maglunog and Meredith Deliso

July 4, 2024, 3:33 PM

Four people are believed to have been bitten by the same shark on the Fourth of July while in waters off the southern coast of Texas, officials said.

Texas Game Warden Capt. Chris Dowdy told ABC Weslaco, Texas, affiliate KRGV that the four separate shark bite incidents were reported off South Padre Island.

In one of the incidents, the South Padre Island Police Department said it received a call reporting a "severe" shark bite to the leg at around 11 a.m. local time Thursday near the 4100 block of Gulf Boulevard.

First responders from the South Padre Island police and fire departments provided treatment at the scene before the man was transported to a nearby hospital, police said. A police spokesperson did not provide an update on the man's condition.

Footage from a beachgoer who witnessed the incident showed a shark swimming near the shore in the vicinity of that attack.

Information on the three other incidents was not immediately available.

The shark has escaped to open waters and there is no plan to contain the shark at this time, Dowdy told KRGV.

The South Padre Island Beach patrol, along with the fire and police departments, were currently patrolling the shoreline and using drones, police said.