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12-Year-Old Shark Bite on Bahamas' Staniel Cay, Airlifted

6/25/2026

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Summary

Story summary

A 12-year-old boy was bitten by a shark while swimming with his brother on Staniel Cay in the Exuma Cays.
The attack occurred at about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
The child was airlifted to a hospital on New Providence for treatment.
The Bahamas rank ninth worldwide for recorded unprovoked shark attacks, a statistic noted after the incident.

History

Historical Context

In July 1916 five shark attacks along New Jersey’s coast killed four swimmers, sparking a nationwide panic, steel-net beach barriers, and the first large-scale shark hunts. Scientists still debate whether a great white or a bull shark caused the attacks, but the episode entered American culture and inspired Peter Benchley’s 1975 novel Jaws, which cemented modern shark-safety regulations and worldwide rescue protocols.

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Story summary

A 12-year-old boy was bitten by a shark while swimming with his brother on Staniel Cay in the Exuma Cays.
The attack occurred at about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
The child was airlifted to a hospital on New Providence for treatment.
The Bahamas rank ninth worldwide for recorded unprovoked shark attacks, a statistic noted after the incident.

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