A 67-year-old Wareham man is still hospitalized after he 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.

Andrew Costello, former editor-in-chief of the Boston Herald, was airlifted to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina last Wednesday afternoon after he sustained shark bites to 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.

"As of July 6, I remain in good condition at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, N.C., where I continue to receive excellent care from a shark bite that occurred on July 1," Costello said in a statement released through Vidant Medical Center. "I would like to take this opportunity and thank the public for their well wishes, thoughts and concerns. At this time, I’m focused on my recovery and will not be doing media interviews. I would like to again ask the media to please respect my privacy as well as the privacy of my family as I recover from this traumatic experience.”

According to the statement from Hyde officials, Hyde County emergency services received a call from lifeguards at 12:10 p.m. on Wednesday 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.