Seventh Shark Attack In North Carolina In Three Weeks

An elderly man has become the scent victim of a shark attack in just three weeks off the coast of North Carolina, USA.

Andrew Costello, 68, was airlifted to hospital after a seven-foot shark bit into his left leg and hip while was was out swimming at Ocracoke Island.

He was pulled underwater where he suffered more injuries to his hands and ribcage.

Mr Costello was swimming just 30 feet from the shore at the time of the attack.

Luckily he made it back to shore where he received emergency treatment before he was taken to hospital.

The National Park Service said in a statement: “He had been swimming in about 25-30 feet offshore in about waist-deep water with his adult son.

"There were no other swimmers injured.”

The latest attack comes just weeks after a 16-year-old boy lost his left arm in a shark attack in North Carolina, while a 47-year-old man was bitten on his leg and back last week.

Shark attacks are rare but the increased threat in the North Carolina waters was described as “an extremely dangerous situation” by shark researcher George Burgess.

He added that the risk of shark attacks is “continuing”.

It is thought that a combination of more swimmers in the sea and sharks following sea turtles and other fish who have got closer to the shore this year.

Law enforcement official along the North Carolina coast are calling for some beaches to be closed.

Despite the latest attack, people were back in the sea just two hours later, with one holidaymaker describing swimmers as “not that scared”.

The breed of shark behind the latest attack has not been confirmed.