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 | Country / Area | Activity | Name | Sex / Age | Injury | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-22 | USA ,Coligny Beach Hilton Head Island | Swimming | Teenage girl | F | Laceration to lower right leg | Small shark |
| 2025-06-17 | USA ,Beach Marker 24 Hilton Head Island | Swimming | Pre-teenage girl | F /12 | Laceration to lower right leg | Not stated |
| 2024-05-02 | USA ,Y-73' Ledge reef Chareston Coast | Spearfishing | Undisclosed | M /65 | Bitten on left arm | 3m Sandbar shark |
| 2023-05-14 | USA ,Isle of Palms, Charleston County | Swimming | Claire Gugerty | F /24 | Minor inuries to right knee | |
| 2022-08-15 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Swimming | female | F | Minor injury to leg | |
| 2022-08-15 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Standing | Karrren Sites | F | Multiple lLacerations to right forearm | Blacktip shark |
| 2022-06-21 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | male | M | |||
| 2021-08-03 | USA ,Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County | a lifguard | M | Lacerations to lower body | Blacktip shark | |
| 2021-05-23 | USA ,Burkes Beach, Hilton Head, Beaufort County | Swimming | Wyatt Bowman | M /26 | Minor injuries to foot and ankle | 5' shark |
| 2020-08-30 | USA ,Folly Beach, Charleston County | Surfing | Liam Modzelewski | M /12 | Injury to right foot and ankle | |
| 2020-08-19 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Wading | Nicole Stowerss | F | Minor injury to arm by a fish | |
| 2019-09-15 | USA ,Isle of Palms, Charleston County | Erica Hedrick | F /22 | Foot bitten | ||
| 2018-07-02 | USA ,Myrtle Beach | Boogie boarding | Peyton Force | F /11 | Minor injury, puncture marks to left lower leg | |
| 2018-05-21 | USA ,Isle of Palms, Charleston County | Boogie boarding | Trey de Boer | M /10 | Injuries to lower right leg and foot | |
| 2018-05-13 | USA ,Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County | Swimming | Jei Turrell | M /10 | Severe bite to right forearm | |
| 2017-08-10 | USA ,Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County | Swimming | Linton Suttle | M /13 | Minor cuts to sole & toes of left foot | Possibly a juvenile blacktip shark |
| 2017-07-29 | USA ,Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County | Swimming | Johnny Simatacolos | M /10 | Abrasions and cuts to sole of foot | A small shark |
| 2017-07-29 | USA ,DeBordieu Colony, Georgetown County | female x 2 | F /12 | Bite to left thigh / minor injury | ||
| 2017-07-20 | USA ,Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County | Swimming | Ellie Rogier | F /8 | Foot injured | Shark involvement not confirmed |
| 2017-06-29 | USA ,Wrightsville Beach | Fishing | male | M | Arm injured by hook, not by a shark | No shark invovlement |
| 2017-06-21 | USA ,South Forest Beach, Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County | Swimming | Olivia Wallhauser | F /16 | Left foot bitten | |
| 2017-06-18 | USA ,Burkes Beach, Hilton Head, Beaufort County | Swimming | Regan Readnour | F /14 | Leg bitten | Bull shark, 4' to 5' |
| 2017-05-30 | USA ,Awendaw, Charleston County | Touching a shark | Mackenzie Higgins | F /20 | Right hand bitten by hooked shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | 3' shark |
| 2017-04-29 | USA ,Folly Beach, Charleston County | Surfing | Holly Dyar | F /33 | Left foot bitten | |
| 2017-04-20 | USA ,Georgetown County | Swimming | male | M | Laceration & puncture wounds to left foot | Shark involvement not confirmed |
| 2017-02-01 | USA ,16 miles off Hilton Head | Fishing | Tagging sharks, Chip Michelove & crew | Shark bit boat, no injury to occupants | White shark, female, 14' | |
| 2016-09-05 | USA ,Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Boogie boarding | Rylie Williams | F /12 | Lacerations & punctures to lower right leg | |
| 2016-07-15 | USA ,North Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Swimming | male | M | Puncture wounds to foot | |
| 2016-06-27 | USA ,Sullivan's Island | male | M /35 | Minor injury | 3' to 4' shark | |
| 2016-06-21 | USA ,North Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Floating | Jeff Schott | M /42 | Lacerations and punctures to foot | 3' to 5' shark |
| 2016-06-07 | USA ,Folly Beach, Charleston County | Surfing | Jack O'Neill | M /27 | No injury, board damaged | Said to involve an 8' shark but more likely damage caused by debris |
| 2015-10-09 | USA ,Shipyard Beach Club, Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County | Boogie boarding | Meti Kershner | F /9 | Laceration to forearm | |
| 2015-09-03 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Chip Wagner | M | Right foot bitten | 4' shark? | |
| 2015-08-20 | USA ,Murrells Inlet, Georgetown County | Surfing | Dylan Peyton | M /15 | Injuries to left calf, arm and hand | 4' shark |
| 2015-07-26 | USA ,Edisto Beach, Colleton County | 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 |
| 2015-06-30 | USA ,Isle of Palms County Park, Isle of Palms, Charleston County | Playing in the water | Kysen Weakley | M /12 | Shallow lacerations & puncture to lateral left leg | 4' to 5' shark |
| 2015-06-26 | USA ,South Beach, Hunting Island State Park, Beaufort County | Standing | Lance Donahue, Jr | M /43 | Puncture wounds to foot | 4' shark |
| 2015-06-23 | USA ,St. Helena Island, Beaufort County | Standing | male | M /9 | Minor injury to calf | small shark |
| 2015-05-15 | USA ,Sullivan's Island | male | M /30 | Laceration to foot | 6' shark | |
| 2014-10-14 | USA ,Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County | Standing in inner tube | Kyra Bandy | F /7 | Lacerations to left foot | Bull shark, 3' to 4' |
| 2014-08-27 | USA ,Surfside Beach, Horry County | Standing | female | F | Heel bitten | |
| 2014-08-06 | USA ,Folly Beach, Charleston County | Boogie boarding | Riley Harris | M /10 | Lacerations to right leg & foot | 4' tp 5' shark |
| 2014-07-03 | USA ,Isle of Palms, Charleston County | Body surfing | Christian Fairbourne | M /19 | Right hand bitten | 4' to 5' shark |
| 2014-05-06 | USA ,Coligny Beach, Hilton Head, Beaufort County | Swimming | Kimberly Popp | F /40 | Lacerations to left foot | 4' to 5' shark |
| 2013-09-08 | USA ,St. Helena Island, Beaufort County | female | F | No details | ||
| 2013-08-11 | USA ,Folly Beach | Surfing | Tyson Royston | M /10 | No injury, shark became entangled in his surfboard leash | Bull shark, 8' |
| 2013-07-30 | USA ,Isle of Palms, Charleston County | Swimming | Ty Bretz | M /32 | Foot bitten | |
| 2013-06-25 | USA ,Kiawah Island, Charleston County | Swimming | Joshua Watson | M /14 | Bitten on lower right leg, reported as a minor injury | 4' to 5' shark |
| 2013-06-14 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Boogie Boarding | Allison Foreman | F /10 | Puncture marks to hand | 4' to 5' shark |
| 2012-06-19 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Standing | Matthew Breen | M /16 | Laceration to foot. Injured by a stingray, not a shark | No shark involvement |
| 2012-06-14 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Swimming | female | F /18 | Foot & hand bitten | small blacktip shark? |
| 2012-06-14 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Swimming | male | M | Minor injury | Shark involvement not confirmed |
| 2012-06-14 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Swimming | male | M | Calf bitten | small blacktip shark? |
| 2012-06-14 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Swimming | Jordon Garosalo | M /16 | Laceration to right foot | Blacktip shark |
| 2012-06-02 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Boogie Boarding | Ryan Orellana-Maczynski | M /25 | Severe laceration to foot | |
| 2011-09-24 | USA ,North Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Jumping in the waves | Isaac O'Hara, | M /5 | Laceration to left thigh | |
| 2011-08-15 | USA ,Myrtle Beach, Horry County | Playing in the surf | Rudy Varney | M /7 | Puncture wounds to foot | Shark involvement not confirmed |
| 2010-07-25 | USA ,Isle of Palms, Charleston County | Standing | Alex Stamm | M /16 | Lacerations to right lower leg | 4' shark |
| 2010-07-19 | USA ,Myrtle Beach | Swimming | Josh Myers | M /10 | Minor lacerations to left calf | Possibly a small blacktip shark |
| 2010-06-25 | USA ,Fripp Island | Boogie Boarding | Ella Morris | F /6 | Laceration to leg | |
| 2008-08-18 | USA ,North Myrtle Beach, Horry County | male | M /7 | Minor injuries | Shark involvement not confirmed | |
| 2008-07-11 | USA ,Isle of Palms, Charleston County | Surfing | male | M /24 | Laceration to foream | |
| 2008-07-05 | USA ,Litchfield Beach, Georgetown County | J.L. | F /17 | Lacerations to right foot | ||
| 2008-06-26 | USA ,Isle of Palms, Charleston County | Swimming | Preston Pearman | M /37 | Lacerations to hand | 4.5 to 5' shark |
| 2008-06-01 | USA ,Cherry Grove | Body surfing | Madi Taff | F /15 | Foot bitten | 5' shark |
| 2007-09-04 | USA ,Sullivan's Island | Standing | Rory Corr | M /15 | Lacerations to left calf and both feet | |
| 2007-08-19 | USA ,Lakewood Campground, Grand Strand, Horry County | Playing | male | M /7 | Right calf bitten | |
| 2007-08-09 | USA ,Isle of Palms, Charleston County | Swimming | Noah Green | M /30 | Lacerations to right foot | |
| 2007-08-09 | USA ,Isle of Palms, Charleston County | Boogie Boarding | Chase Crawford | M /9 | Lacerations to lower leg & ankle | |
| 2007-05-26 | USA ,Garden City | Wading | Susan Dornquast | F | Lacerations to lower leg |
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.
