Man bitten by shark on NC Outer Banks is 7th this summer

The man suffered wounds to his ribcage, lower leg, hip and both hands as he tried to fight off the animal, said Justin Gibbs, the director of emergency services in Hyde County.

Shark experts say the recent spate of attacks along on the coast of the Carolinas is due to so many more people getting in the water.

Roger Rulifson, a distinguished professor of biology and senior scientist at East Carolina University, said recently that there have been reports of small bait fish coming closer to shore this summer, which attracts sharks.

An emergency helicopter flew him to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, about 85 miles east of the barrier island.