A 10-year-old boy from Maryland was bitten by a shark while on vacation in the Bahamas.
The incident occurred while the boy was participating in an expedition inside a shark tank at a local resort on Paradise Island, according to news from the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
Shortly before 4pm on Monday, the shark bit the boy’s right leg, which required medical attention at the hospital. He is in a stable condition, the police said.
Authorities have not identified the resort where the incident occurred, and the investigation is ongoing.
Police Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings declined to name the resort in an interview with NBC News when asked if any precautions were taken.
Stock image of ocean water.
Getty
“I’m a police officer on the island and I’ve never been to the aquarium they’re talking about. As for how it’s set up, you’ll have to talk to the staff at the resort,” said the outlet.
The incident follows a shark attack in Nassau, Bahamas on Dec. 4 that killed 44-year-old Massachusetts Math editor Lauren Erickson Van Wart. At the time of the incident, Van Wart was on vacation with her husband, with whom she was paddleboarding near the resort.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a press release that Van Wart and her husband were brought to safety on a lifeboat by a lifeguard at the resort who saw the incident unfold. Van Wart, who suffered a “significant injury to the right side of her body,” according to authorities, was administered CPR.
After being examined by emergency medical technicians at the scene, it was concluded that Van Wart was “showing no vital signs of life.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/How-to-Prevent-a-Shark-Attack-and-What-to-Do-If-Bit-080323-5-37c3c95f4a8c4f4f993f02f2b531bc6c.jpg)
An image of a tiger shark breaking on the surface of the water with its mouth and teeth open.
Getty
That same month, a 26-year-old woman in Mexico died after being bitten on the leg by a shark while swimming with her 5-year-old daughter off the coast of Melaka.
Wyatt Werneth, a 28-year lifeguard and public service spokesman for the American Lifeguard Association, urged beachgoers to be aware of their water surroundings when he spoke to PEOPLE in August 2023.
“Just get to know the atmosphere. If the fish start jumping around, something could be chasing those fish. They’re scared, they’re nervous. Get out of the water,” he told PEOPLE about ways to prevent a shark attack.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“If someone around you starts yelling shark or whatever, obviously get out of the water. But get comfortable and enjoy the experience while you’re in the water,” he continued. “You don’t have to all the time [be] looking for a shark.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education