Claire Gugerty, 24, was enjoying Mother's Day with her family on Isle of Palms front beach when she had a startling encounter. While swimming with her sister, Paige, in waist-deep water, she felt a bump on her right leg. It was only when she got out of the water that she realized she had been bitten by a shark, as blood began to pool from a gash on the side of her right kneecap.
I knew immediately that something had gotten me, but I didn't realize I had been bitten," recalled Claire Gugerty.
Claire Gugerty
Her sister, Paige, who was just a few feet away, did not feel or see anything. A passing Isle of Palms Police Department officer on a beach cruiser was flagged down by Gugerty's family. Unfortunately, the officer did not have a first aid kit or supplies to stop the bleeding. Nevertheless, the officer promptly called the Isle of Palms Fire Department, who arrived swiftly and provided crucial assistance. This incident highlights the importance of preparedness for all first responders on the island.
Claire and her family, originally from Baltimore, Maryland, were visiting her aunt, Mimi Wood, a long-time resident of Isle of Palms. Although familiar with beach activities and the presence of marine life after years spent at Ocean City and Stone Harbor, Gugerty had concerns about other dangers such as stingrays and jellyfish.
“I have always loved swimming in the ocean,” Gugerty said. “When I was younger, I wasn’t scared of anything but as I’ve gotten older, I just think about it more. Even this weekend, I was asking my aunt about the dangers and my cousin was instructing me to shuffle my feet in the water to avoid getting stung by a stingray.”
Gugerty had never considered a shark bite as a real possibility. However, around 5 pm, she was bitten on the right side of her right knee by what she described as a large fish that made her stumble. She did not see the shark but witnessed something thrashing in the water. Thinking she had been scraped, she quickly ran out onto the shore.
Paramedics rushed Gugerty to East Cooper Medical Center, where Dr. Suzanne Echemendia-Wirth and the hospital staff provided excellent care. The gash, approximately 6 inches wide, was speculated that it was from a 4–5-foot juvenile tiger shark, according to the doctor. After the wound was rinsed with saline solution, Gugerty received 22 stitches. Thankfully, the bite was superficial, with no damage to her arteries.Waking up today, though Gugerty says her family is still shaken up and that her right leg is sore to walk on, she remains optimistic.
Statistics show you’re more likely to win the lottery than get bit by a shark,” Gugerty laughed, “but, still, I don’t know if I’ll be going back in the ocean any time soon.”
Gugerty emphasizes that it is essential for families to stay vigilant and aware of the possibility of shark encounters, even though the likelihood is low. Gugerty hopes her experience will encourage families to prioritize safety.
According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) Beach Injuries and Fatalities report, the odds of a shark attack in the United States are 1 in 11.5 million. The most common type of shark attack is the "hit and run" phenomenon, typically occurring in the surf zone with swimmers and surfers as targets. These attacks often result from mistaken identity and are infrequent instances where the shark does not return after a single bite or slash wound, and the victim seldom sees the attacker. From gugerty’s experience, it appears this was likely the case.
Putting shark attacks into perspective, ISAF data shows that more people are injured and killed on land while traveling to and from the beach than by sharks in the water. Beach-related injuries such as spinal damage, dehydration, jellyfish and stingray stings, and sunburn are more common than shark attack trauma.
Additionally, ISAF reported that in 2022, of the 108 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide, there were only 57 unprovoked bites recorded. An unprovoked bike is defined as an incident in which a bite on a live human occurs in the shark’s natural habitat with no human provocation of the shark. Of the 57 unprovoked bites reported, 41 of those incidences occurred in the United States. When broken down by state, the total unprovoked bites by state were Florida (16), New York (8), California (4), South Carolina (4), Hawaii (5), North Carolina (2) and single incidents in both Texas and Alabama. The risk of being bitten by a shark remains extremely low.
