Two Shark Attacks Reported at the Isle Of Palms Today

Two shark attacks in one day are highly unusual for Charleston. I was painting at the beach on the Isle of Palms today because it was the coolest place to be outside in this 98 degree record breaking heat. Thankfully, I didn't see the attack on a 9 year old boy who was playing in the surf about 2:30. I did talk to a witness who said he saw a lot of blood in the water around the boy. The boy appeared limp and in shock as his father carried him from the water. Please say a prayer for this boy and his family.

A short while later about 4:30, a 30 yr. old man was bitten on the ankle a couple of miles up the beach at Wild Dunes. The local ABC news coverage reports that he is in surgery and doing well. Please keep both of today's bite victims and their families in your prayers for a speedy recovery.

I talked with Renee Williams of Ch. 4 (ABC) who was doing a live remote broadcast at Chas. County Park. She told me the last reported shark bite in Charleston was in 2003. The last death from a bite here was in 1883. The beach was closed for a while after the attack, but swimming resumed later in the afternoon.

I'm a long distance swimmer and former "surfer girl" who has swum in these same waters all my life. Occasionally I have been "bumped " by large fish and have always known that I was in their territory when I entered the water. Caution, not fear is always appropriate when in the ocean.

l have seen many sand sharks in these same waters. They are rarely aggressive. We have many varieties of sharks in the Lowcountry. Most of the time we are more of a problem to them than they are to us. However the recent heat may have been a factor in the 2 attacks today.

Today's painting will be posted later due to all the activity surrounding this highly unusual and unfortunate shark attack in the water at the Isle of Palms.