A 67-year-old Wareham man who was hospitalized for nearly three weeks after a shark attack in North Carolina finally returned home last weekend.

Andrew Costello, former editor-in-chief of the Boston Herald, was released from Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina on Saturday.

“While I’m glad to be home, I remain focused on my long road of recovery,” Costello said in a statement to the media on Monday. “I want to thank my family, friends and staff at Vidant Medical Center for their love, support and excellent care that I received.”

Costello was bitten by a shark several times while swimming off the North Carolina coast on Wednesday, July 1, according to the Hyde County Emergency Medical Services Department.

Costello was airlifted to Vidant Medical Center on July 1, after suffering shark bites on his rib cage, hip, lower leg, and both hands, according to a statement from Hyde County officials. Costello was swimming directly in front of a lifeguard stand at the Ocracoke National Park Service Day Use Area, which is located in Hyde County.

According to the statement from Hyde officials, Hyde County emergency services received a call from lifeguards at 12:10 p.m. on July 1, regarding an injured swimmer.

Officials said Costello was swimming 25-30 feet offshore outside the first breaker, directly in front of the lifeguard stand when he encountered a six-to seven-foot long grey shark.

Hyde County EMS, National Park Service rangers, the Hyde County Sheriff’s Department, and members of the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene, where they found Costello with multiple injuries from the attack, according to the statement.

"EMS stabilized his blood pressure and were able to get him in a stable, conscious, and oriented condition prior to being flown to Vidant Medical Center for further medical treatment," the statement read.

No other swimmers were harmed during the incident, according to the National Park Service.

Costello was the seventh victim of a shark attack off the North Carolina coast since June 11. A 32-year-old man was attacked by a shark off the North Carolina coast on July 4, according to national news reports, bringing the total number of attacks to eight.

According to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History, there were four attacks in North Carolina last year.