Hilton Head officials report 2nd likely shark bite in less than a week
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly described the injury as “life-threatening.” The story has been updated to reflect the correct statement from officials.
A swimmer near Coligny Beach Park was hospitalized for a likely shark bite Sunday afternoon, marking the second potential shark encounter on Hilton Head Island in less than a week.
After the bite to their leg around 12:10 p.m. Sunday, the beachgoer was treated on scene by Shore Beach Service Lifeguards before being taken to the Hilton Head Medical Center, according to a press release from Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue. The injury was “determined to be non-life-threatening,” the statement read.
It came five days after a 12-year-old girl received reported a leg wound “consistent with a shark bite” at a Sea Pines beach Tuesday afternoon. She was flown by helicopter to Savannah for further treatment, officials said.
Lifeguards cleared the waters stretching about a half-mile in each direction for about 2 hours following the incident, according to beach patrol director Mike Wagner.
The week’s incidents signaled an eventful start to the summer season on Hilton Head. Last year, Hilton Head lifeguards reported three likely encounters between swimmers and sharks, all within the month of July. The island averages two to three shark bites per year, occasionally seeing spikes of up to a half-dozen.
The vast majority of shark encounters 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.
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“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.
This report will be updated.
This story was originally published June 23, 2025 at 12:30 PM.
