South Carolina, with its stunning coastlines, attracts countless visitors each year. While the beaches offer an idyllic retreat, they also bring humans closer to the marine ecosystem, including sharks. Recent incidents have raised concerns and piqued interest in shark attacks. This page is dedicated to providing weekly updates on these shark attacks in South Carolina. Whether you’re a concerned tourist or a curious local, stay informed and make the most of your time by the sea.
Recent Shark Attacks in South Carolina
| Date / Time | Country / Area | Activity | Name | Sex / Age | Injury | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07-21-2023 13h20 | USA ,South Carolina | Boogie boarding | John Mistler | M /60 | Right foot injured | 8' shark |
| 05-14-2023 17h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Claire Gugerty | F /24 | Minor inuries to right knee | |
| 08-15-2022 11h17 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | female | F | Minor injury to leg | |
| 08-15-2022 12h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Standing | Karrren Sites | F | Multiple lLacerations to right forearm | Blacktip shark |
| 06-21-2022 | USA ,South Carolina | male | M | |||
| 08-03-2021 11h46 | USA ,South Carolina | a lifguard | M | Lacerations to lower body | Blacktip shark | |
| 05-23-2021 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Wyatt Bowman | M /26 | Minor injuries to foot and ankle | 5' shark |
| 08-30-2020 11h30 | USA ,South Carolina | Surfing | Liam Modzelewski | M /12 | Injury to right foot and ankle | |
| 08-19-2020 1415.0 | USA ,South Carolina | Wading | Nicole Stowerss | F | Minor injury to arm by a fish | |
| 09-15-2019 | USA ,South Carolina | Erica Hedrick | F /22 | Foot bitten | ||
| 07-02-2018 14h40 | USA ,South Carolina | Boogie boarding | Peyton Force | F /11 | Minor injury, puncture marks to left lower leg | |
| 05-21-2018 | USA ,South Carolina | Boogie boarding | Trey de Boer | M /10 | Injuries to lower right leg and foot | |
| 05-13-2018 15h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Jei Turrell | M /10 | Severe bite to right forearm | |
| 08-10-2017 13h30 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Linton Suttle | M /13 | Minor cuts to sole & toes of left foot | Possibly a juvenile blacktip shark |
| 07-29-2017 Afternoon | USA ,South Carolina | female x 2 | F /12 | Bite to left thigh / minor injury | ||
| 07-29-2017 15h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Johnny Simatacolos | M /10 | Abrasions and cuts to sole of foot | A small shark |
| 07-20-2017 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Ellie Rogier | F /8 | Foot injured | Shark involvement not confirmed |
| 06-29-2017 19h30 | USA ,South Carolina | Fishing | male | M | Arm injured by hook, not by a shark | No shark invovlement |
| 06-21-2017 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Olivia Wallhauser | F /16 | Left foot bitten | |
| 06-18-2017 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Regan Readnour | F /14 | Leg bitten | Bull shark, 4' to 5' |
| 05-30-2017 | USA ,South Carolina | Touching a shark | Mackenzie Higgins | F /20 | Right hand bitten by hooked shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | 3' shark |
| 04-29-2017 11h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Surfing | Holly Dyar | F /33 | Left foot bitten | |
| 04-20-2017 08h50 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | male | M | Laceration & puncture wounds to left foot | Shark involvement not confirmed |
| 02-01-2017 | USA ,South Carolina | Fishing | Tagging sharks, Chip Michelove & crew | Shark bit boat, no injury to occupants | White shark, female, 14' | |
| 09-05-2016 Late afternoon | USA ,South Carolina | Boogie boarding | Rylie Williams | F /12 | Lacerations & punctures to lower right leg | |
| 07-15-2016 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | male | M | Puncture wounds to foot | |
| 06-27-2016 16h20 | USA ,South Carolina | male | M /35 | Minor injury | 3' to 4' shark | |
| 06-21-2016 15h25 | USA ,South Carolina | Floating | Jeff Schott | M /42 | Lacerations and punctures to foot | 3' to 5' shark |
| 06-07-2016 11h30 | USA ,South Carolina | Surfing | Jack O'Neill | M /27 | No injury, board damaged | Said to involve an 8' shark but more likely damage caused by debris |
| 10-09-2015 16h20 | USA ,South Carolina | Boogie boarding | Meti Kershner | F /9 | Laceration to forearm | |
| 09-03-2015 16h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Chip Wagner | M | Right foot bitten | 4' shark? | |
| 08-20-2015 12h30 | USA ,South Carolina | Surfing | Dylan Peyton | M /15 | Injuries to left calf, arm and hand | 4' shark |
| 07-26-2015 10h10 | USA ,South Carolina | Floating | female | F /35 | 2' cut to dorsum of foot, 2 puncture wounds to sole | Thought to involve a 3' to 4' shark, but shark involvement not confirmed |
| 06-30-2015 18h05 | USA ,South Carolina | Playing in the water | Kysen Weakley | M /12 | Shallow lacerations & puncture to lateral left leg | 4' to 5' shark |
| 06-26-2015 11h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Standing | Lance Donahue, Jr | M /43 | Puncture wounds to foot | 4' shark |
| 06-23-2015 | USA ,South Carolina | Standing | male | M /9 | Minor injury to calf | small shark |
| 05-15-2015 14h15 | USA ,South Carolina | male | M /30 | Laceration to foot | 6' shark | |
| 10-14-2014 | USA ,South Carolina | Standing in inner tube | Kyra Bandy | F /7 | Lacerations to left foot | Bull shark, 3' to 4' |
| 08-27-2014 15h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Standing | female | F | Heel bitten | |
| 08-06-2014 14h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Boogie boarding | Riley Harris | M /10 | Lacerations to right leg & foot | 4' tp 5' shark |
| 07-03-2014 18h15-18h30 | USA ,South Carolina | Body surfing | Christian Fairbourne | M /19 | Right hand bitten | 4' to 5' shark |
| 05-06-2014 15h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Kimberly Popp | F /40 | Lacerations to left foot | 4' to 5' shark |
| 09-08-2013 | USA ,South Carolina | female | F | No details | ||
| 08-11-2013 17h30 | USA ,South Carolina | Surfing | Tyson Royston | M /10 | No injury, shark became entangled in his surfboard leash | Bull shark, 8' |
| 07-30-2013 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Ty Bretz | M /32 | Foot bitten | |
| 06-25-2013 12h45 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Joshua Watson | M /14 | Bitten on lower right leg, reported as a minor injury | 4' to 5' shark |
| 06-14-2013 Afternoon | USA ,South Carolina | Boogie Boarding | Allison Foreman | F /10 | Puncture marks to hand | 4' to 5' shark |
| 06-19-2012 | USA ,South Carolina | Standing | Matthew Breen | M /16 | Laceration to foot. Injured by a stingray, not a shark | No shark involvement |
| 06-14-2012 13h20 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Jordon Garosalo | M /16 | Laceration to right foot | Blacktip shark |
| 06-14-2012 Afternoon | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | male | M | Minor injury | Shark involvement not confirmed |
| 06-14-2012 Afternoon | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | female | F /18 | Foot & hand bitten | small blacktip shark? |
| 06-14-2012 Afternoon | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | male | M | Calf bitten | small blacktip shark? |
| 06-02-2012 19h45 | USA ,South Carolina | Boogie Boarding | Ryan Orellana-Maczynski | M /25 | Severe laceration to foot | |
| 09-24-2011 10h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Jumping in the waves | Isaac O'Hara, | M /5 | Laceration to left thigh | |
| 08-15-2011 | USA ,South Carolina | Playing in the surf | Rudy Varney | M /7 | Puncture wounds to foot | Shark involvement not confirmed |
| 07-25-2010 | USA ,South Carolina | Standing | Alex Stamm | M /16 | Lacerations to right lower leg | 4' shark |
| 07-19-2010 10h35 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Josh Myers | M /10 | Minor lacerations to left calf | Possibly a small blacktip shark |
| 06-25-2010 | USA ,South Carolina | Boogie Boarding | Ella Morris | F /6 | Laceration to leg | |
| 08-18-2008 | USA ,South Carolina | male | M /7 | Minor injuries | Shark involvement not confirmed | |
| 07-11-2008 14h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Surfing | male | M /24 | Laceration to foream | |
| 07-05-2008 14h21 | USA ,South Carolina | J.L. | F /17 | Lacerations to right foot | ||
| 06-26-2008 11h15 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Preston Pearman | M /37 | Lacerations to hand | 4.5 to 5' shark |
| 06-01-2008 18h30 | USA ,South Carolina | Body surfing | Madi Taff | F /15 | Foot bitten | 5' shark |
| 09-04-2007 18h30 | USA ,South Carolina | Standing | Rory Corr | M /15 | Lacerations to left calf and both feet | |
| 08-19-2007 10h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Playing | male | M /7 | Right calf bitten | |
| 08-09-2007 16h40 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | Noah Green | M /30 | Lacerations to right foot | |
| 08-09-2007 14h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Boogie Boarding | Chase Crawford | M /9 | Lacerations to lower leg & ankle | |
| 05-26-2007 17h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Wading | Susan Dornquast | F | Lacerations to lower leg | |
| 07-17-2006 10h00 | USA ,South Carolina | Standing | Dallas Jackson | M /49 | Left ankle & foot bitten | Angel shark, 1.2m |
| 07-12-2006 13h30 | USA ,South Carolina | Swimming | female | F /21 | Ankle & foot bitten |
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What do authorities in South Carolina recommend after a shark attack?
After a shark attack in South Carolina, authorities recommend immediate medical attention for the victim. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources also advises reporting the incident to them as soon as possible to help with their ongoing shark monitoring and safety efforts
Can I swim in South Carolina waters after a shark attack?
Yes, you can swim in South Carolina’s waters after a shark attack, but it’s advised to exercise caution and heed the guidance of local authorities and lifeguards. South Carolina officials diligently monitor shark activity and will provide updates on safety conditions to ensure the wellbeing of beachgoers.
Do all beaches in South Carolina have the same risk of shark attacks?
Not all beaches in South Carolina have the same risk of shark attacks. The risk can vary based on factors such as geographical location, the presence of certain marine life, and the time of year, among other variables.
