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The Ventnor Beach Patrol responded to the report of a potential shark bite Sunday morning at approximately 9:30 a.m. before lifeguards went on duty.
According to Ventnor Beach Patrol Chief Stan Bergman, someone ran up to Beach Patrol Headquarters on Suffolk Avenue as lifeguards were preparing to open the beach saying someone had been bitten by a shark.
“Capt. Gary Howarth responded, but they must have called 911 because the Police Department was already there,” Bergman said.
The victim was a man estimated to be in his 30s who was bleeding from his hand.
“They bandaged him up and took him to the hospital to get stitches,” Bergman said.
Ventnor Beach Patrol Chief Stan Bergman checks the water following the report of a potential shark bite Sunday morning.Bergman could not identify the victim due to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) laws.
However, Bergman said it was not confirmed that the man was actually bit by a shark.
“It could have come from a skate, which has barbs on its tail, or a bluefish,” he said. “We noticed there were a lot of bait fish close to the shoreline today, which usually brings in the larger fish to feed.”
There are several species of sharks that swim off the N.J. coast, but most swim out in deeper waters. However, there have been several shark sighting reports closer to the shoreline this summer.
