In two separate shark attacks in Oak Island, North Carolina, on Sunday, a 16-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl lost their left arms.
The teenagers, whose names were not released, also sustained other serious injuries, authorities said. A spokeswoman for New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington said they were both in stable condition after surgery, with the girl's left arm amputated below the elbow and the boy's left arm amputated below the shoulder. The girl also suffered lower leg tissue damage.
The girl was bitten by a shark at about 4:40 p.m., and the second incident was reported roughly two miles away at 5:51 p.m. Oak Island's town manager, Tim Holloman, said people should stay out of the water, but the beaches will be open Monday and sheriff's deputies will patrol the coastline by helicopter. "Oak Island is still a safe place," he told NBC News. "This is highly unusual."
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