A lady might have been bitten by a shark whereas swimming at South Beach on Martha’s Vineyard Monday afternoon, an Edgartown official mentioned.
A lady in her late 20s suffered leg accidents which might be “considered consistent with a potential shark bite,”Edgartown Town Administrator James Hagerty said in a statement.
Emergency personnel responded to Norton Point at 1:40 p.m. for a report of a girl who suffered an harm to her decrease leg whereas swimming, the assertion mentioned.
Although no sharks or different marine animals had been seen on the time or confirmed in reference to the incident, Hagerty mentioned the lacerations seemed to be a potential shark chew.
Emergency employees handled the girl on the scene. She was then taken to a neighborhood hospital for additional therapy, in response to the assertion.
Her accidents usually are not thought-about life-threatening and didn’t contain a lack of limb, Hagerty mentioned.
The city closed swimming alongside South Beach after the incident, which is protocol following a suspected shark encounter, he mentioned.
Officials will assess situations earlier than reopening the water, he added.
Sharks are sometimes discovered off Cape Cod and the Islands, together with blue sharks, basking sharks, makos, threshers, and sandbar sharks. The presence of nice whites, among the many most harmful species of shark, tends to generate essentially the most consideration. Researchers primarily attribute their resurgence to rebounding seal populations.
Hagerty urged beachgoers to take acceptable precautions to remain secure within the ocean, together with remaining conscious of their environment and following directions from “lifeguards and any posted beach advisories.”
Shannon Larson may be reached at shannon.larson@globe.com. Follow her @shannonlarson98.