On July 4, three individuals were bitten by sharks in separate incidents along South Padre Island, Texas, and New Smyrna Beach, Florida. In Texas, two people were seriously injured while swimming, and another person was injured while attempting to assist one of the bite victims. The affected individuals were taken to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville. Authorities reported that a shark brushed against another beachgoer but they were not injured. Shark sightings are relatively rare in the area. Local authorities, including the Texas Department of Public Safety, used drones and helicopters to monitor and deter the shark. On the same day in Florida, a 21-year-old Ohio man was bitten on the foot while playing football in knee-deep water at New Smyrna Beach and was subsequently hospitalized. Shark bites in U.S. coastal waters have been recorded, with Florida leading in the number of incidents.