A 12-year-old American boy was attacked by a shark while swimming with his brother on Staniel Cay island in the Bahamas on Tuesday. The Royal Bahamas Police Force reported the incident occurred around 3:30 p.m.
The victim was on a family tour of the Exuma Cays when he went swimming. He was taken to New Providence for medical treatment and was listed in stable condition on Wednesday. Authorities have not released details about the extent of his injuries or identified the type of shark involved.
While shark attacks are considered relatively rare in the Bahamas, the island nation ranks ninth globally for recorded incidents, according to the International Shark Attack File database. The database shows 29 incidents on record for the Bahamas, while the United States leads the list with 1,441 unprovoked shark attacks.
This recent attack follows a similar incident nearly a year ago when a 63-year-old American was injured by a shark while spearfishing near the Abaco Islands. These events, among others in 2025, contributed to the U.S. State Department issuing a Level 2 travel warning for the Bahamas.