MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Karen Sites traveled from Pennsylvania to South Carolina for vacation, only to end up in the hospital for surgery and hundreds of stitches on the very first day, after being attacked by a shark.
**WARNING - Some of the images shared in this video are graphic. **
"I'll sit on the sand but I ain't going in the water,” said Brian Sites, the victim's grandson.
Before today, eight-year-old Brian loved playing in the sand and taking an occasional dip in the ocean.
The Sites family has been planning their vacation to Myrtle Beach for over a year now.
"I just felt something I guess bite me and I looked down and there was a shark on my arm, and I was only in waist-deep water and I kept pushing at it to get it off my arm and then it did,” said Karen Sites.
It was just after noon on their first full day of vacation when their trip would take a shocking turn.
"I couldn't even see the shark coming up, but all I saw was she was...the shark jumped up and it didn't even bite like all the way, like I saw the movement of its tail like going to the side and then she went like, she screamed a little bit but like, as soon as she touched it, it just fell into the water," said Brian.
The 8-year-old was only ten feet away from his grandmother when he watched her get bitten by a shark.
Sites was taken to a local hospital where she underwent surgery and received hundreds of stitches.
"It's very clearly a shark bite, when you look at the arc of the tooth marks and the damage that was done, and my sympathies to the victim,” said Professor Abel. “That's a horrendous thing to go through."
Daniel Abel is a professor of Marine Science at Coastal Carolina University.
He says sharks are not uncommon this time of year and if you plan to swim in their home, there's some precautions you should take.
"Not to swim at dawn and dusk,” said Professor Abel. “There's not many people in the water then, and some of the sharks are closer to shoreline and feeding. Don't swim where there are schools of small fish, they're called bait fish offshore, because the sharks will swim in that or with them. Don't swim near where people are fishing, like in piers."
Abel says shark bites are extremely rare and, while he offers his sympathy to victims of shark encounters, it's important to understand that sharks are important to our ecosystem.
“It's very important that we treat our sharks, and our ocean and our entire planet with more respect than we do now,” said Professor Abel.
Sites says her shark encounter will not keep her from enjoying the beach, she just needs to heal and get the all clear from her doctors.
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members.