12-year-old American boy injured in shark encounter in Bahamas
A 12-year-old American boy was injured in a shark encounter this week while on a tour in the Bahamas, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a news release Wednesday.
Bahamian police said the incident occurred Tuesday in Staniel Cay, Exuma, "in the area of the Exuma Cays," and left a "juvenile male" injured.
Police said they received information just before 3:30 p.m. ET that the boy was "being transported to New Providence by boat" following the encounter, which they said occurred while the victim was swimming with his brother.
The boy subsequently "received medical treatment for his injuries and was last listed in stable condition," police said.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force has not released the boy's identity.
More than 40 different species of shark can be found in the Bahamas' approximately 630,000 square kilometers of marine area, according to the Pew Environmental Group.
The country is sometimes referred to as the shark diving capital of the world, given its biodiversity and shark protection efforts, led by the Bahamas National Trust.
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File, last year saw 105 shark-human interactions with 65 unprovoked bites worldwide.
The Bahamas accounted for five of the unprovoked shark bites recorded last year, according to the file, though none of the five were fatal.
The museum offers a few shark safety tips for those planning to enter any shark-populated waters, including swimming in groups, avoiding schools of fish, and avoiding swimming at dawn or dusk.
