Sharks seen swimming feet from beachgoers at Myrtle Beach

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Thursday, June 20, 2019
Sharks seen swimming feet from beachgoers at Myrtle Beach
Ginger Gilmer was visiting North Myrtle Beach on June 14 when she noticed people were not the only ones swimming near the sand.

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Viral photos on Facebook are reminding beachgoers just how close sharks can be to the shore.

Ginger Gilmer was visiting North Myrtle Beach on June 14 when she noticed people were not the only ones swimming near the sand.

Realizing that they had no idea what was going on, Gilmer decided to start snapping.

She posted the pictures to her Facebook, saying: "Why I go to the beach to get in the pool! SHARKS!!!! Not one person had an idea of what was lurking around them. Can't see the bottom, not swimming in it! #doodoodoodoo"

Her photos have been shared more than 29,000 times.

"I didn't realize they could get that close in shallow water," Gilmer told ABC News.

It's not uncommon for sharks to swim near shores and fishing piers.

Earlier in the month, New Bern teenager Paige Winter said she didn't go more than waist deep in the water when she was bit by a shark.

After she and her father fought off the shark, the 17-year-old had lost part of her leg and two fingers.

RELATED: 'I will be OK:' 17-year-old girl bitten by shark had leg amputated, hands damaged

Since the incident, she's become very vocal, saying she wants it to turn into something positive for sharks and the environment.

"I didn't do something directly to the shark," she told GMA's Robin Roberts. "But I was in his water. That's his house."

As for Gilmer, she said she's just happy she can remind everyone that sharks are in the ocean and they're closer than people may think.

"It was the craziest thing I have ever seen," she said on Facebook. "People had no idea. Just wasn't sure if it was appropriate to yell 'shark' from the 15th floor and cause a panic."