International News: Child injured in shark attack at Bahamas resort, Police say

By Horace Palacio: A 10-year-old boy from Maryland was bitten by a shark at a resort in the Bahamas, the Royal Bahamas Police Force reported on Monday, triggering an investigation into the rare but alarming incident. The boy, whose identity has not been disclosed, was part of a shark tank expedition on Paradise Island, a popular tourist destination among the archipelago’s nearly 300 islands.

The police release detailed that the shark attack occurred just before 4 p.m., resulting in injuries to the boy’s right leg. Emergency services promptly transported him to a local hospital, where he is reported to be in stable condition. It remains unclear if the child was accompanied by family at the time of the incident.

Authorities have not specified which resort the attack took place at. Atlantis Paradise Island, known for offering shark experiences, is located on the island but has not responded to requests for comment from the press.

This incident follows another shark attack in the Bahamas in December, which resulted in the death of a 44-year-old woman from Boston, Lauren Erickson Van Wart. CBS News reported that she was paddleboarding with a relative when the shark attacked, leading to her immediate death as declared by emergency responders at the scene.

Statistics from the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File show that shark attacks are uncommon. In 2022, the organization investigated 108 alleged shark-human interactions globally, confirming 57 as unprovoked attacks and 32 as provoked. Five incidents remain unconfirmed.

NOAA Fisheries’ director of public affairs, Lauren Gaches, in previous communications with CBS News, highlighted the rarity of such encounters. She stated that incidents of swimmers or surfers being bitten or even encountering sharks are “extremely unlikely.” The recent event in the Bahamas, however, underscores the unpredictable nature of interactions with marine wildlife.

 

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