IN one week, four people were bitten while swimming in Virginia Beach.
A mother has told the story of her 10-year-old daughter’s bloody attack which left her with eight stitches.
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Arryn Van Slyke, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, explained that her daughter was bitten by something in the water on June 20 at around 9:20 a.m., according to the NBC affiliate. WAVY.
“They really weren’t that deep,” Van Slyke said of his children, according to WAVY.
“They were probably a little above their knees and were jumping and all of a sudden they took off running.”
Van Slyke was immediately alert and said he thought a jellyfish had stung them before his daughter Vivienne showed her foot and screamed.
“I looked at her foot and I saw the whole thing, like a bite mark, and then there was a part where her flesh was showing, so of course I’m completely in shock,” Van Slyke said.
First responders rushed to Sandbridge Beach around 9:30 a.m. and Vivienne was taken to a local hospital, a city spokesperson said, according to WAVY.
“I was trying to stay calm because it’s probably the best thing to do, but I was really scared,” Vivienne said, per ABC affiliate. WVEC.
Her twin sister, Autumn, was also swimming in the water.
“I was shocked and scared for her. I was more scared than she was!” Autumn said, according to WVEC.
HORRIBLE INJURY
The 10-year-old girl’s bite required eight stitches on the front of her foot, between her first and second toes.
Bite marks and torn skin formed a semicircle around the top of its paw, where the animal grabbed it.
“It feels good,” Vivienne said, according to WVEC.
“I can walk, but I just put most of the pressure on my heel.”
Authorities have not confirmed it was a shark bite, although Van Slyke thought it was from a baby sand shark.
Van Slyke said doctors were calling it a “shark bite tear,” according to WAVY.
“They took x-rays to make sure there were no teeth in there and to make sure she didn’t have any broken bones, and that everything looked good on the x-ray,” Van Slyke said.
Four recent shark bites in Virginia Beach
Within a week, four people reported being bitten while swimming in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Two people were bitten on June 20, according to CBS affiliate WTKR.
One of the victims was a 10-year-old girl named Vivienne, who was bitten on the foot. She was taken to the hospital where she received eight stitches, according to NBC affiliate WAVY.
A third was bitten on June 23 and it is unclear when the fourth was bitten, but EMS said it was recent.
All other victims required minor first aid, according to EMS, per WAVY.
Two people were able to get off the beach on their own, EMS said, according to WTKR.
Vivienne and another victim were taken to hospital. The young woman is recovering and the condition of the fourth bite victim is unknown.
Authorities are unable to determine which animal bit the victims without medical confirmation.
Van Slyke said Vivienne is recovering well but doesn’t plan on returning to the ocean anytime soon.
“She keeps saying she was very lucky that nothing worse happened, but she was unlucky because she was bitten by a shark,” Van Slyke said.
“They decided they would probably never go into the water at the beach, where we’ve been there so many times, so it’s crazy that this happened, but yeah, it’s really scary.”
THE OTHER BITES
Virginia Beach EMS Chief of Marine Operations Cat Watson said all of the bites happened at different times and in different locations.
Two people, including Vivienne, were bitten on June 20, according to a CBS affiliate WTKR.
A third was bitten on June 23 and it is unclear when the fourth was bitten, but EMS said it was recent.
All other victims required minor first aid, according to EMS, per WAVY.
Two people were able to get off the beach on their own, EMS said, according to WTKR.
The other two were taken to the hospital.
Vivienne is recovering and the condition of the fourth bite victim is unknown.
Authorities are unable to determine which animal bit the victims without medical confirmation.
‘IT’S THEIR HOUSE’
Watson said bites like this were rare, but people should always be alert when swimming.
“If you see a large group of fish swimming in the ocean, we recommend not swimming in it,” Watson said.
“Also, if you see a pod of dolphins, it’s not safe to swim either. [with] The dolphins. You want to respect marine life because it’s their home.”
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Virginia Beach EMS also encourages people to swim near lifeguards and be aware of their surroundings, as other animals can be dangerous.
“It’s not just the possibility of sharks, it could be large schools of fish,” Watson said.
“It could be groups of dolphins, jellyfish, marine life.”
Watson also warned people about swimming fatigue from people fishing at the beach.
“Don’t swim next to a fisherman, but maybe give them a little space on each side,” she said.
If something happens at the beach, call a lifeguard and call 911.
“We have lifeguards patrolling routinely,” Watson said.
“So we actually have these red and white, 10-foot-tall, two-by-four blocks with their 100 blocks painted on them. So when you call 911, give them the number of the closest marker you’re at and we’ll know exactly where you are on the beach.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
