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CNN Live At Daybreak

Shark Attacks Couple in North Carolina

Aired September 04, 2001 - 08:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: On a much serious note, we do -- we are talking about a second likely fatal shark attack. The latest -- it's in the outer banks of North Carolina.

A couple was swimming at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore early last evening when the attack happened.

And our CNN's Patty Davis covered Saturday's fatal attack in Virginia. She is now in North Carolina with the details on this one -- Patty.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the National Park Service says it is likely that a shark attacked the couple yesterday in Avon, North Carolina at around 6:00 p.m. The Park Service says the couple was swimming out about 20 to 40 feet offshore in around four feet, or just chest-high water, on a sandbar when that attack occurred.

Witnesses heard screaming and went to drag the couple in. They are in their 20s -- dragged them into the shore.

One rescuer tells me that the man was in cardiac arrest. He was getting CPR when they arrived.

The woman appeared, he said, more viable as a patient, but she had no color and she was semi-conscious. She was missing her left foot at the ankle, the back of her thigh, a buttock.

And the man was missing a leg below the knee and a couple of fingers. He was declared dead at a local medical center a short time later.

Now, if you want to know the magnitude of these bites, the rescuer tells me they were about 10 inches in diameter. I asked him, could this have been anything but a shark, perhaps a barracuda? He said, no way. These bites are too big -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Patty, on a broader scale, I mean, this is the second attack in the third day. There have been more attacks even prior to this.

What's going on here?

DAVIS: That's a good question. And actually, Park Service officials say despite the two fatal attacks here along the coast in recent days that we are actually below average in terms of shark attacks in general and fatal attacks.

You know, around the world now there have only been three fatal shark attacks this year; last year there were eight. So, you know, their guess is as good as anybody's guess, and our guess is as good too about what's going on here. No one exactly knows.

PHILLIPS: Well, that's good news that the number is lower -- Patty Davis, thank you so much.

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