12-year-old boy attacked by shark while swimming in Bahamas - BERITAJA

A 12-year-old American boy was attacked by a shark this week while successful the Bahamas, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

In a news release, Bahamian constabulary said the brushwood took spot connected Tuesday successful Staniel Cay, Exuma, and “left a juvenile antheral injured.”

“According to the preliminary report, soon earlier 3:30 p.m., constabulary received accusation that a 12-year-old American boy was transported to New Providence by vessel aft being attacked by a shark,” constabulary said.

The boy’s mother reported to constabulary that while connected a circuit successful the Exuma Cays area, the boy was swimming pinch his relative erstwhile a shark attacked him.

“He received aesculapian curen for his injuries and was past listed successful unchangeable condition,” constabulary added.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force did not merchandise the boy’s personality aliases the type of shark progressive successful the encounter.

The University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File (ISAF) reports that the likelihood of being bitten by a shark are incredibly low. ISAF recommends water swimmers enactment adjacent to shore, debar swimming astatine dawn aliases dusk and debar excessive splashing.

The ISAF investigated 105 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide successful 2025, pinch 5 full cases coming from the Bahamas.

ISAF confirmed 65 unprovoked shark bites connected humans and 29 provoked bites, which hap erstwhile a quality initiates relationship pinch a shark successful immoderate way.

The 2025 worldwide full of 65 confirmed unprovoked cases is successful statement pinch the about caller five-year (2020 to 2024) mean of 61 incidents annually, according to the ISAF.

Earlier this year, a study reported that sharks successful the Bahamas tested affirmative for consuming cocaine, caffeine and different substances.

According to the findings, published successful the journal Environmental Pollution, pharmaceuticals specified arsenic acetaminophen and sertraline, arsenic good arsenic caffeine, cocaine and different chemicals, were coming successful the systems of 3 shark species.

Known arsenic CEC, aliases contaminants of emerging concern, these substances were recovered to beryllium peculiarly prevalent successful tourer areas.

Of the 85 sharks analyzed successful the study, Caribbean reef sharks, Atlantic caregiver sharks and citrus sharks were recovered to person varying levels of the painkillers diclofenac and acetaminophen successful their bodies, arsenic good arsenic cocaine and caffeine.

Research besides recovered that sharks that had consumed CECs “showed altered triglycerides, urea, and lactate levels,” which whitethorn origin “physiological responses” successful type that trial affirmative for contaminants.

—With files from BERITAJA’ Rachel Goodman