Shark Attacks Reported at Texas’ South Padre Island; 2 People Bitten, at Least One Severely

People walk along the beach as the sun rises over the Gulf of Mexico in South Padre Island, Texas on Nov. 16, 2023. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas—Shark attacks disrupted Fourth of July celebrations Thursday at South Padre Island as two people were taken to the hospital with bites, at least one of them severe, authorities said.

Police were called for the attack on the man who was severely bitten around 11 a.m., according to Nikki Soto, the South Padre Island city secretary. He was initially treated at the beach by firefighters and police.