Child hospitalized after being bitten by shark near SC beach, officials say

A child was taken to a South Carolina hospital Monday after reportedly being bitten by a shark.

The shark bite occurred in the waters of the Isle of Palms, in Charleston County, live5news.com reported.

The Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center dispatch reported that the child was bitten in the calf and foot by the shark, according to postandcourier.com.

Emergency responders received a call about the shark bite just before 4:30 p.m., and an ambulance took the child to an area hospital, live5news.com reported.

The TV station reported that Charleston County emergency officials said the child "suffered serious injuries," but postandcourier.com reported that Isle of Palms Mayor Jimmy Carroll said "the injuries were not serious."

This would be the second shark attack in South Carolina in 2018, according to the International Shark Attack File.

On May 13, another child suffered a shark bite in S.C. waters.

Ten-year-old Jei Turrell suffered severe bleeding when he was bitten in the arm by a shark, likely a blacktip or spinner shark, while swimming off Hilton Head Island, according to ISAF experts. After extensive surgery, he was released from the hospital last week.

Shark attacks doubled in South Carolina in 2017 — making it a record-breaking year for attacks in the state, with 10 recorded attacks statewide and at least eight of those attacks on Hilton Head Island.

This story was originally published May 21, 2018 at 9:42 PM with the headline "Child hospitalized after being bitten by shark near SC beach, officials say."