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11-year-old boy possibly bitten by shark off North Carolina beach, officials say

By Allen Cone
Atlantic Beach remained opened after an 11-year-old boy apparently was bitten by a shark while surfing near Fort Macon State Park in Atlantic Beach on Saturday afternoon. Atlantic Beach is in Carteret County, about 100 miles north of Wilmington, with a population of 1,495, according to the 2010 U.S. census. Google Maps screenshot
Atlantic Beach remained opened after an 11-year-old boy apparently was bitten by a shark while surfing near Fort Macon State Park in Atlantic Beach on Saturday afternoon. Atlantic Beach is in Carteret County, about 100 miles north of Wilmington, with a population of 1,495, according to the 2010 U.S. census. Google Maps screenshot

ATLANTIC BEACH, N.C., June 27 (UPI) -- An 11-year-old boy surfing off a North Carolina beach was possibly bitten by a shark, officials said, the second person to be bitten by a shark at the same beach this month.

The boy, who has not yet been identified, was surfing just west of the Fort Macon State Park bathhouse around 2:30 p.m. Saturday when he was bitten on the left foot, Atlantic Beach fire officials said.

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The child had severe wounds and was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.

Deputy Chief Mike Simpson told UPI on Monday that the boy was released from Carteret Health Care after receiving several stitches.

There is some uncertainty as to whether the injury is the result of a shark bite, however.

"We had a couple conflicting reports by some of the folks who saw it happen," Park Ranger Paul Terry told WCTI TV. "There was one or two that said they felt like it was probably a shark bite. We also spoke to a lady who thought maybe when he fell of his surfboard maybe he cut his foot on maybe one of the fins or some sharp piece of his board."

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The beach stayed open despite the incident.

On June 11, 18-year-old Dillon Bowen had to get 26 stitches on his right wrist after being bitten by a shark at the same beach.

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