Former Boston Herald Editor Recovering From Shark Attack

Shark by Leszek Leszczynski via Flickr

Former Boston Herald Editor-in-Chief Andrew F. Costello is recovering from a shark attack that occurred off the coast of North Carolina.

Costello, 67, fought off the shark during but sustained injuries to his ribs, lower leg, hip and hands. He’s being treated at the Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, N.C. according to the Boston Herald.  WCVB is reporting that Costlello is in fair condition.

The location of the attack, Ocracoke Island, was a favorite vacation spot for his family.

Costello was swimming approximately 25-30 feet off shore at the time of the attack in shallow water. He was the lone victim in the attack though there were others in the water at the time.

It’s unknown at this time what kind of shark attacked Costello though marine biologists say it was probably a bull shark as they frequent the area and rarely travel north.

Costello, a resident of Wareham, was the editor-in-chief at the Herald from 1994-2004. Prior to that he served at the paper as a managing editor and deputy editor for 21 years. After leaving the paper Costello went on to teach journalism at Stonehill College.

This is the seventh shark attack off the coast of North Carolina this year, the most to occur this early in the summer in recent memory.