An 8-year-old boy is in critical condition and is now recovering after being bitten by a shark. This happened while the boy was snorkeling in Florida’s waters on Monday, September 1, according to PEOPLE.
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Shark Critically Injures 8-Year-Old Boy While Snorkeling
In a press release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, they confirmed that this incident happened around 3:24 PM local time. The 8-year-old boy was swimming off Key Largo when the shark attacked.
A spokesperson with Monroe County Fire Rescue revealed that the shark bit the boy above the knee, per the Miami Herald. Also, it reported that the child was specifically snorkeling on Horseshoe Reef, which is around four miles offshore from Key Largo.
First responders mentioned through emergency scanner traffic that the boy’s “injury is significant.” There was a lot of bleeding, so medics applied two tourniquets “to control the bleeding.”
According to WSVN, first responders also described the boy as “pale.” There was a “significant amount of blood loss,” but they managed to control the bleeding enough.
“He’s been applied two tourniquets, we also put [inaudible] bandage to control the bleeding,” said emergency dispatch. “We’re on the process of getting some vital signs.”
Soon after, a helicopter airlifted the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center in Miami. There, he now remains, but he is still in severe condition.
The United States Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have since been notified of the accident. We don’t yet know what will come of this, but perhaps they will attempt to find the shark that did this.
More Florida Shark Attacks
This hasn’t been the only shark attack in Florida this summer. In June, a shark bit a 9-year-old girl while she was snorkeling off Boca Grande. Just a few feet away, her mother noticed her daughter come up from underwater with a scream.
9-year-old Leah Lendel’s arm was covered in blood, her hand nearly severed from her wrist. Luckily, some nearby construction crew came to help get the girl out of the water.
“We saw the shark rushing in the water, it was right there, right behind her,” said Raynel Lugo to WFLA. “We were trying to get her out… it was still chasing her.”
Once she finally got to a hospital, she underwent a six-hour surgery to have her hand reattached. It was a success, and she was lucky enough to survive the incident.