A Shark Tore Off a Teenager’s Arm in Waist-Deep Water — Another Child Had Been Attacked Two Miles Away

The shark struck so suddenly that 16-year-old Hunter Treschl barely understood what had happened. One moment, he was playing in waist-deep water with his cousin. The next, a powerful animal had bitten his left arm, leaving him with a devastating injury. His cousin helped him toward shore as beachgoers rushed to control the bleeding. Someone brought a belt. Others called for emergency assistance. Hunter was still conscious, but his life was in immediate danger. And while rescuers fought to save him, authorities were dealing with another horrifying emergency: a young girl had suffered a similarly catastrophic shark attack just two miles away.

A Summer Afternoon at Oak Island

On June 14, 2015, Hunter Treschl was visiting Oak Island, North Carolina, a coastal vacation destination southwest of Wilmington.

The 16-year-old, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, had entered the Atlantic Ocean with his cousin. They were playing in the waves near the 55th Street beach access.

The water reached approximately Hunter's waist. He was only about 20 yards from shore, close enough for beachgoers to see swimmers moving through the surf.

Nothing about the depth suggested the kind of danger he was about to encounter.

Sharks naturally inhabit the coastal waters of North Carolina, but serious attacks involving swimmers are uncommon. Most people entering the ocean never experience a dangerous encounter.

That afternoon, however, Oak Island would become the scene of two extraordinary emergencies.

And Hunter had no warning that another child had already been attacked farther down the beach.

The First Sign Was a Blow to His Leg

Hunter later described the encounter in an interview released by New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

While playing with his cousin, he suddenly felt something strike his left calf.

He initially believed a large fish had brushed against him.

He began moving away.

Then he saw the shark.

The animal had reached his left arm, and the attack happened almost instantly.

Hunter recalled seeing the shark biting his arm. Within moments, he had suffered an injury so severe that his arm was lost.

There had been no prolonged struggle or clear opportunity to escape before the bite.

The attack was over almost as quickly as it began.

Hunter later explained that he initially felt little pain, making the situation difficult to comprehend.

But the absence of immediate pain did not mean the injury was minor.

His left arm had sustained catastrophic damage, and uncontrolled bleeding could quickly become fatal.

A Desperate Race Toward Shore

Hunter's cousin immediately helped him out of the water.

The distance to the beach was relatively short, but the seriousness of the injury made every moment critical.

People nearby recognized that the teenager needed immediate assistance.

Witness Randy Milligan later described seeing the injured boy and rushing to help. Milligan removed his shirt and wrapped it around Hunter's injured arm.

Another person arrived with a belt, which was tightened around the limb to help control the bleeding.

The improvised tourniquet was especially important.

A major traumatic amputation can cause rapid blood loss. Without prompt bleeding control, a victim may develop life-threatening shock before reaching a hospital.

The beachgoers did not have the equipment of an emergency department.

They used what was available.

A shirt.

A belt.

Their hands.

And the few minutes they had before trained responders arrived.

Hunter remained conscious during the emergency. Witnesses recalled his confusion as he struggled to understand the seriousness of what had happened.

Meanwhile, emergency dispatchers were receiving urgent calls from the beach.

One caller reported that the teenager's arm was gone and that he was bleeding heavily.

Responders were sent to the 55th Street area.

But the emergency crews had already been dealing with another shark attack nearby.

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The First Victim: Kiersten Yow

Approximately two miles away, near Ocean Crest Pier, 12-year-old Kiersten Yow had been enjoying the water earlier that afternoon.

Kiersten, from North Carolina, was also in shallow water when a shark attacked her.

The injuries were devastating.

The shark bit her left arm and left leg, causing severe tissue damage.

Her left arm was so badly injured that surgeons would later amputate it below the elbow.

Emergency calls reporting Kiersten's attack began shortly after 4 p.m., more than an hour before the calls concerning Hunter.

People on the beach immediately attempted to help.

According to recordings of the emergency calls, a bystander described the girl's severe arm injury while a dispatcher instructed people to apply pressure to control the bleeding.

A boogie-board leash was also used around her injured arm.

Kiersten needed emergency medical care, and responders worked to get her transported to a hospital.

The injuries to her leg created additional concern, although she would ultimately survive without losing that limb.

Then, as authorities were still responding to the first emergency, reports of Hunter's attack arrived from farther along the coast.