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Spearfisherman, 65, bitten by shark off South Carolina coast

A 65-year-old man is recovering after being bitten by a shark while spearfishing off the South Carolina coast.

The victim — who has not been named publicly — was bitten about 20 miles off the Charleston coast on Thursday night, WCSC reported.

Aerial view of Charleston SC.
The incident took place off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. Grindstone Media Grp – stock.adobe.com

A passenger on the 28-foot boat the man was fishing from applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding until the Coast Guard arrived, the outlet said, citing Petty Officer 3rd Class Vincent Moreno.

Charleston Harbor Marine police eventually assessed the man’s wound at the scene and determined that the bleeding had stopped, he said.

The fishing boat was then directed to Charleston Harbor, where it met up with EMS near the Coast Guard Station.

A shark fin.
The man was bitten while spearfishing, officials said. ytemha34 – stock.adobe.com

The man was taken to a nearby hospital for additional treatment, WCSC said.

As of Saturday afternoon, there was no update on his condition.