ECU student president attacked by shark

Salter Path, N.C.

East Carolina University Student Government President Joshua Martinkovic, 22, has been identified as the victim of Sunday’s shark attack at Salter Path, N.C.

Martinkovic was surfing alone at sunrise when a shark bit his leg, Carteret County Sherriff Asa Buck III confirmed at Monday’s press conference.

“Yesterday, we didn’t know his identity because he wasn’t carrying a wallet,” Buck said. But when Martinkovic didn’t return as expected, friends contacted the police. “After checking with local hospitals we were able to confirm his identity,” Buck said.

Martinkovic was taken to Carteret General Hospital, where doctors continue to manage his condition. Emergency Doctor Michael H. Lowry said on arrival Martinkovic’s “leg was mangled pretty badly and he’d lost a lot of blood.”

An examination of the wounds on Martinkovic’s foot and leg led doctors to believe a great white shark attacked him. Lowry said he would be transferred to Pitt Memorial Hospital when his condition stabilizes. “Our goal is to make sure he doesn’t lose his leg,” he added.

The sheriff confirmed the attack as the first at Salter Path in more than 40 years. Witnesses at the beach said were stunned and thought Martinkovic was joking around. While out surfing with his son, Surfer Wallace Pierce, of Wilmington, N.C., heard him yell “Help, Shark!”. “But then I caught sight of his leg,” he said. “Me and my son got out of there as quick as we could.”

To put the attack into perspective, East Carolina Professor and Institute for Coastal Science and Policy Director John Rummel said, “Sharks typically are not aggressive animals…they are not the killers they’re portrayed to be.”

Beachgoers in Carteret County are being urged to use caution when swimming and surfing and not swim alone. Even so, “We want to stress to tourists that we think the beaches are safe,” the county sheriff said. “Hundreds of people swim in the Atlantic Ocean every day safely.”

However for additional safety, the sheriff said helicopters would be flying over area beaches for the next few days. 


Please note: The ECU student president was not injured during the writing of this story. The facts of this story are fabricated and taken from the assignment guideline.