SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – Two separate shark attacks in a one-week span on beaches near Savannah, Georgia are somewhat unusual since the area sees relatively few bites each year, experts.
But overall, the number of shark attacks in the U.S. is not on the increase.
A lifeguard on South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island suffered deep cuts to the chest area but is expected to survive after being bitten on Aug. 3, WTOC-TV reported. At nearby Tybee Island, Georgia, a well-known surfing instructor was bitten July 27 while leading one of his surfing classes.
South Carolina recorded just one unprovoked shark bite last year, and Georgia had none, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File. The two beaches are about 18 miles (28 kilometers) apart as the crow flies.
“It’s a bit mysterious,” said Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History. “When sharks do bite people, it’s because they made a mistake. Why would two mistakes happen in such close proximity?”