Girl, 12, Attacked by Shark Off the Coast of South Carolina — Marking the Second Such Attack in the U.S. in Less Than 1 Week

A 12-year-old girl was attacked by a shark off the waters of South Carolina.

The attack occurred at around 12 p.m. local time on Tuesday, June 17, near a resort on Hilton Head Island. The girl sustained “a leg injury consistent with lacerations typically associated with a shark bite,” according to a statement from Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue that was obtained by USA Today and CBS News. 

The victim, whose identity has not been shared publicly, received onsite treatment from Shore Beach Services and Fire Rescue staff. She was then airlifted to a hospital in Savannah, Ga., which is located about 40 miles from Hilton Head, CBS News reported.

Authorities said the young girl’s injuries were not life-threatening, per the outlet.

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In audio from a call obtained by local news outlet WJCL, first responders could be heard telling medical dispatchers that the girl was conscious and breathing, but she had “lost a good amount of blood so far.” They also stated that the preteen’s wound was located on the “lower right leg, right below the kneecap.”

PEOPLE reached out to Hilton Head Fire and Rescue and Shore Beach Services for comment on Sunday, June 22, but did not receive an immediate response.

The incident in Hilton Head took place less than a week after a child lost her hand during a shark attack off the coast of Florida days earlier.

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Leah Lendel, 9, was snorkeling with her family in Boca Grande on June 11 when the attack occurred. She was airlifted to a hospital, where she underwent an emergency six-hour surgery. 

“I was just snorkeling, and then I went up to breathe,” Leah said at a press conference on Thursday, June 19, per Fox Orlando. “And then something hard bit me, and then it tried to tug me away.”

“Then I picked up my hand, and it’s all in blood,” the young girl continued.

There were 47 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide in 2024, according to The International Shark Attack File, which is maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History. (Of those 47 attacks, four were fatal, per the museum.)