A 12-year-old American boy was attacked by a shark this week while within the Bahamas, in accordance with the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
In a news release, Bahamian police said the encounter took place on Tuesday in Staniel Cay, Exuma, and “left a juvenile male injured.”
“In response to the preliminary report, shortly before 3:30 p.m., police received information that a 12-year-old American boy was transported to Latest Windfall by boat after being attacked by a shark,” police said.
The boy’s mother reported to police that while on a tour within the Exuma Cays area, the boy was swimming along with his brother when a shark attacked him.
“He received medical treatment for his injuries and was last listed in stable condition,” police added.
Get breaking National news
Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox because it happens so you will not miss a trending story.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force didn’t release the boy’s identity or the form of shark involved within the encounter.
The University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File (ISAF) reports that the percentages of being bitten by a shark are incredibly low. ISAF recommends ocean swimmers stay near shore, avoid swimming at dawn or dusk and avoid excessive splashing.
The ISAF investigated 105 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide in 2025, with five total cases coming from the Bahamas.
ISAF confirmed 65 unprovoked shark bites on humans and 29 provoked bites, which occur when a human initiates interaction with a shark ultimately.
The 2025 worldwide total of 65 confirmed unprovoked cases is in keeping with essentially the most recent five-year (2020 to 2024) average of 61 incidents annually, in accordance with the ISAF.
Earlier this 12 months, a study reported that sharks within the Bahamas tested positive for consuming cocaine, caffeine and other substances.
In response to the findings, published within the journal Environmental Pollution, pharmaceuticals comparable to acetaminophen and sertraline, in addition to caffeine, cocaine and other chemicals, were present within the systems of three shark species.
Referred to as CEC, or contaminants of emerging concern, these substances were found to be particularly prevalent in tourist areas.
Of the 85 sharks analyzed within the study, Caribbean reef sharks, Atlantic nurse sharks and lemon sharks were found to have various levels of the painkillers diclofenac and acetaminophen of their bodies, in addition to cocaine and caffeine.
Research also found that sharks that had consumed CECs “showed altered triglycerides, urea, and lactate levels,” which can cause “physiological responses” in species that test positive for contaminants.
—With files from Global News’ Rachel Goodman
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.