American boy, 12, attacked by shark in Bahamas whereas swimming with brother

A 12-year-old American boy is in secure situation after being attacked by a shark within the Bahamas, authorities mentioned Wednesday. 

The boy was on a tour of the Exuma Cays together with his household when the incident occurred, according to a statement from the Royal Bahamas Police Force. He was swimming in Staniel Cay, alongside together with his brother, when he was attacked by the shark at round 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, police mentioned. 

The RBPF didn’t specify what accidents the boy sustained, however mentioned he was transported by boat to New Providence, probably the most populous island within the Bahamas and residential to the nation’s capital metropolis of Nassau. He acquired medical remedy, police mentioned. His situation is secure as of Wednesday. 

The Exuma Cays are fashionable for swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. The waters off Staniel Cay maintain coral reefs and shipwrecks, and are dwelling to a variety of wildlife together with sea turtles, stingrays and sharks. The Royal Bahamas Police Force didn’t specify what sort of shark bit the boy. 

The Bahamas, a variety of over 700 islands, has one of many world’s highest charges of unprovoked shark assaults. While the nation is small, it has the ninth-highest variety of such assaults based on the International Shark Attack File, a database that tracks human-shark encounters world wide. However, the assaults are nonetheless extraordinarily uncommon: The database shows just 30 confirmed, unprovoked shark assaults within the Bahamas over the previous 400 years. 

Multiple Americans have been injured by shark assaults within the Bahamas lately. In February 2025, two American girls have been attacked whereas swimming off Bimini Bay, within the westernmost a part of the Bahamas. One lady was severely injured. 

Later, in August 2025, a 63-year-old American man was severely injured when he was attacked by a shark whereas spearfishing off the island of Abaco. The man was airlifted to the United States for extra remedy. 

In January 2024, a 10-year-old boy from Maryland was bitten on the leg by a shark and hospitalized. A Boston lady died after being attacked by a shark whereas paddleboarding with a member of the family in December 2023.