Likely shark bite reported in Hilton Head waters Tuesday, officials say
A female beachgoer on Hilton Head Island was hospitalized for a leg wound “consistent with a shark bite” Tuesday afternoon, according to officials.
It happened shortly after noon in the waters near mile marker 24, located downshore of Royal Tern Road in southeast Sea Pines. She was treated by lifeguards at the scene before fire crews took her to Hilton Head Island Airport, where she was flown by helicopter to Savannah for further treatment, according to a press release from Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue.
The incident marked the first reported likely shark bite of Hilton Head’s busy summer season, according to Shore Beach Service director Mike Wagner. Last year, beach patrol reported three similar cases, all in the month of July.
Local charter captain and “shark whisperer” Chip Michalove said the island averages two to three shark bites per year, occasionally seeing spikes of up to a half-dozen.
The vast majority of encounters between sharks and humans are non-fatal, both in South Carolina and nationwide. Experts say the most likely culprits are blacktip sharks, a relatively small species known to hang out near shorelines as they feed on schools of fish. Swimmers sometimes get caught in the crossfire.
“As those (schools of fish) get close to the beach, you get these blacktips that are zipping through the schools and competing with their buddies,” Michalove told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette in August of last year. “And our water is not real crystal clear; occasionally they’ll grab an arm or a leg and do a bit of damage.”
Hilton Head lifeguards are trained to monitor local waters for signs that sharks are nearby, such as fish jumping out of the surf and birds diving in the area. During peak season, Shore Beach Service’s daily patrols consist of more than 60 lifeguards stationed across 13.5 miles of the island’s beaches.
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Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the victim was taken to Hilton Head Medical Center for treatment.
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 11:52 AM.
