Two teens lost part of their arms in two separate shark attacks at a popular beach in North Carolina on Sunday.
They were identified as Kiersten Yow, 12, of Archdale, North Carolina, and Hunter Treschl, 16, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, who were airlifted from Oak Island beach to the New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington for surgery, according to the Star News Online.
Yow was the first victim of the shark attack at around 4:40 p.m. followed by Treschl at about 5:51 p.m., Fox News reported.
In a statement, the hospital said Treschl's was in critical condition when he arrived at the hospital. His status was upgraded to fair condition after surgery.
"The boy's left arm was severed just below his shoulder," the hospital said.
"He looked like he was waving at his friends," Randy Milligan told ABC News of Treschl. "Then the shark just came out of the water and like you snap your fingers—bit his whole arm off."
The two victims were in waist-deep water about 20 yards from the shore when the shark attacked them.
Officials did not close the beaches but told people to stay in shallow waters.
"We spotted one shark that was estimated over 7 feet long between the locations of the two bites earlier, and then we spotted another one off, down a little further south, about the same size," said Brunswick County Sheriff John Ingram.
The hospital said shark bite injuries can range from mild to catastrophic, depending on the size of the shark, severity of the attack and the area bitten.
Oak Island Mayor Betty Wallace said authorities immediately ordered everyone to get out of the beach after the second attack.
"Our local police ATVs and the sheriff's boat and helicopter patrolled immediately after the second one, getting everyone out of the water," Wallace said.
Steve Bouser and his wife were at the beach when people began shouting "Come in! Get out of the water! Get out of the water!"
"I saw someone carry this girl (out of the water) and people were swarming around and trying to help," he said. "It was quite terrible."
