7th Shark Attack Reported in N. Carolina

A 68-year-old man was attacked Wednesday by a six- to seven-foot shark off the coast of Ocracoke Island in North Carolina. This is the state’s seventh reported shark attack this year and the sixth reported in just the last three weeks. The man sustained bite wounds to his rib cage, hip, lower leg and both hands, according to Hyde County spokeswoman Sarah Johnson. A witness at the area described a “big trail of blood from the water to the sand.” The International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida says the increase in shark attacks this year could be due to a number of factors, including drought conditions and warmer water.