Claire Gugerty: Tiger shark attacks woman 'who loved swimming' on Mother's Day at South Carolina beach
A shark attack on a woman who "loved swimming in the ocean" ruined Mother's Day for one family. Claire Gugerty, a swimmer, was attacked by a sea monster while on vacation with her family at the Isle of Palms front beach in South Carolina. The creature is thought to have been a juvenile tiger shark that was between four and five feet long.
Gugerty felt a sharp pain in her right leg while they were in the water, but she ignored it until she stepped out and noticed blood dripping from the side of her kneecap. She claimed that the incident happened at around 5.00 pm and that she stumbled as a result of seeing a big fish. Although she noticed something swimming in the water, the 24-year-old missed the shark. Gugerty thought the scrape on her leg was more of a bruise than a bite.
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Who is Claire Gugerty?
Claire Gugerty, a 24-year-old swimmer from the Isle of Palms, went swimming with her sister Paige while on vacation with her family at the front beach in South Carolina. She explained to The Island Eye about the purported shark attack that ruined the family's Mother's Day. Gugerty said, "I knew immediately that something had gotten me, but I didn't realize I had been bitten."
Claire and her family who are from Baltimore, Maryland were on vacation at Isle of Palms to see her aunt Mimi Wood, who has lived there for many years. Gugerty expressed worries about other threats like stingrays and jellyfish despite being accustomed to spending time on the beach and the abundance of marine life from years spent in Ocean City and Stone Harbour.
Who treated her injury?
Despite being only a few feet away, her sister was unable to see or sense anything. Gugerty's family was able to flag down a policeman who was able to summon the Isle of Palms Fire Department but was lacking a first aid kit. She was taken by ambulance to the East Cooper Medical Centre, where her six-inch wound required 22 stitches. Gugerty was treated by Dr Suzanne Echemendia-Wirth, who stated that the bite did not result in any significant harm. The shark was thought to be a young tiger shark that was between four and five feet long.
'I don't know if I'll be going back in the ocean any time soon'
Gugerty was concerned about safety in the ocean before being attacked by a sea monster. She said, "I have always loved swimming in the ocean. When I was younger, I wasn't scared of anything but as I've gotten older, I just think about it more." She went on, "Even this weekend, I was asking my aunt about the dangers and my cousin was instructing me to shuffle my feet in the water to avoid getting stung by a stingray. "I don't know if I'll be going back in the ocean any time soon," she continued.
