MAPLE, N.C.—A man whose body was discovered on the beach at Kill Devil Hills yesterday died from a shark bite, the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office said this afternoon. Richard A. Snead, 60, of Pittsburgh was reported missing early Sunday by family members who had not seen him after he went swimming at Corolla near Milepost 4 ½ after 9 p.m. Saturday, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

NEWPORT NEWS—Maritime archaeologists tracking the victims of Nazi U-boats during World War II have explored a Navy patrol boat that has been untouched since it sank off the Outer Banks in 1942. The converted trawler YP-389 was found about 18 miles off Hatteras Inlet last month by an expedition led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration studying shipwrecks left from the WWII battle for control of East Coast shipping lanes, maritime archaeologist Joe Hoyt said.

The National Park Service says a Virginia man drowned off Ocracoke Island in North Carolina while he tried to save his grandchildren, who were caught in a rip current.

The slower, more leisurely pace of life on North Carolina’s Outer Banks suits restaurateur Mike Kelly. “We still get things done here,“ he said, “but we may be a little slower than the rest of the world.“ Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors descend upon the Outer Banks to kick back like Kelly and enjoy the area’s unspoiled beauty. The 130-mile chain of barrier islands is home to some of the most natural, undeveloped beaches in the country. The windswept beaches of Cape Hatteras National Seashore were listed by beach expert Stephen Leatherman (Dr. Beach) as No. 7 on his 2009 Top Ten List of domestic beach destinations.

Matthew Glomb had been looking forward to spending time with his son this week on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. But the trip ended tragically Monday evening when Glomb was struck by lightning while jogging along the beach near his retirement home. Rescue officials in Southern Shores, N.C., said he was killed instantly. Glomb’s Lake Ridge neighbor and a good friend of nearly 30 years, Joe Malinowski, said Glomb spent a lot of time at the beach and was excited about the family getaway.

Death toll rises to 4 after Outer Banks fireworks explosion B3 OCRACOKE, N.C.—Two more workers who had been preparing for an Independence Day celebration died of injuries suffered when a truckload of fireworks exploded on a dock, authorities said. One of the workers died at the scene Saturday, and three others died later at area hospitals, including one who died yesterday, said Hyde County spokeswoman Jamie Tunnell.

OCRACOKE, N.C.—Two workers died after a fireworks truck exploded yesterday morning on a remote North Carolina island. Three other workers were injured when the truck exploded as the workers prepared for the annual Independence Day fireworks display on Ocracoke Island, according to Hyde County spokeswoman Jamie Tunnell. The men worked for Melrose South Pyrotechnics near Rock Hill, S.C. The company has sent an official to work with investigators.

Edwin Clayton Thornton III had been senior pastor at Tomahawk Baptist Church in Midlothian for 34 years.

A federal judge has given a bit of wiggle room to tight restrictions on beach driving designed to protected endangered birds and turtles on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Out of work since December, Kathleen Hewes quickly realized a 14-year family tradition at the Delaware shore would have to end in 2009. “We decided in January we couldn’t afford it,“ Hewes said of her now one-income household. fina31Then Hewes heard back from rental agent Sue Cooper: The owner of the beach property would welcome the Hewes back to Bethany Beach—for free. The family has the last week in July booked at a three-bedroom town house.

Segway trips to see wild horses and moonlight tours of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse are some of the things you can do this summer on the North Carolina coast. In Currituck, try off-road Segway tours through rugged terrain. One tour takes you to a private reserve for Spanish mustangs; the other rolls through beaches and dunes. Tours last four hours and are by appointment. Details at http://www.outerbankstours.com/segs-on thebeach.

A federal judge has called a hearing for an update on the status of a settlement agreement between environmentalists and beach access advocates over driving on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.