US mounts aerial shark patrols

The deaths came as many Americans headed for the beach

US emergency services have started aerial patrols off the coast of North Carolina following a second fatal shark attack in the area.

Dare County emergency spokeswoman Dorothy Toolan said patrols would continue all day on Tuesday to track unusual shark movements.

There have been 40 reported shark attacks this year, 37 in the US

"We're going to start flyovers around 0700 (1100 GMT) and those will last throughout the day, just looking for any unusual migrations," she said.

In Monday's incident a Russian man was killed and his woman companion critically injured. Sergei Zaloukaev, 28, died from massive blood loss after multiple shark bites.

It was the second fatal shark attack off America's east coast in two days - a boy was killed at Virginia Beach some 217 kilometres (135 miles) further north on Saturday

His father managed to fight off the shark, but the boy died from the loss of blood.

Shallow water attack

The Russian couple had been wading in surf off a beach near Avon, a remote town along North Carolina's Outer Banks barrier islands.

They were attacked at about 1800 (2200 GMT) as they waded between 6-12 metres (20-40 feet) from the shore near a sand bar.

The dead man's companion, Natalia Slobonskaya, 23, received serious injuries to her lower torso, Dr Seaborn Blair at the Avon Medical Center said.

She was taken by helicopter to the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Virginia, where she was described as critical, but stable in intensive care after undergoing surgery for her wounds.

The beaches along the Outer Banks, a popular holiday destination, remain open.

Holiday weekend

On Saturday, 10-year-old David Peltier, was attacked as he surfed with his father and brothers at Sandbridge Beach in Virginia.

David Peltier died from blood loss after being attacked

The shark tore a 40 centimetre (17 inch) gash in his left thigh and would not release him until his father hit it repeatedly on the head.

The father then carried the boy ashore, but the wound had severed an artery and he died hours later from loss of blood.

The attack had occurred in just over a metre of water some 15 metres from shore.

Both fatal attacks have fallen on the Labor Day holiday weekend when the beaches are packed with tourists.

In a similar shark attack on the Florida coast in July, eight-year-old Jessie Arbogast lost an arm and most of his blood. He survived, but remains in a light coma due to brain damage.

The International Shark Attack File of the University of Florida has reported 40 known shark attacks worldwide this year, none of which were fatal until now.

Of the 40 known attacks, 37 were in the United States and 28 were in Florida waters.