8-Year-Old Boy in ‘Severe’ Condition After Shark Bite While Snorkeling in Florida: ‘Significant Amount of Blood Loss’

An 8-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after being attacked by a shark in Florida.

On Monday, Sept. 1, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a Facebook post that the boy was bitten while snorkeling off the coast of Key Largo. He was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami for treatment.

“An 8-year-old male was reportedly snorkeling when he was bitten by a shark at approximately 3:24 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, off Key Largo, Florida on the oceanside,” the post said. “The U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were notified of the incident.”

Monroe Sheriff Rick Ramsay told the Miami Herald that the child was snorkeling on Horseshoe Reef when the attack happened. Ramsay said the boy was in surgery Monday evening.

According to emergency dispatch audio obtained by 7 News Miami, first responders reported that the boy was “pale” and had lost a “significant amount of blood.” Authorities said he was bitten above the knee before a nearby dive vessel stopped to help.

“He’s been applied two tourniquets, we also put [inaudible] bandage to control the bleeding,” dispatchers said, according to 7 News Miami. “We’re in the process of getting some vital signs.”

The boy’s injuries were described as “significant,” and his condition is considered severe, the Miami Herald reported.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard for comment.

This comes shortly after another shark attack involving an 8-year-old girl in Texas over Labor Day weekend.

On Saturday, Aug. 30, Harper Ochoa was in shallow waters off Galveston when something grabbed the back of her leg, according to CBS affiliate KWTX.

After screaming and pushing the shark away, her family rushed to help. They noticed a large wound on her leg.

“It was just so much blood it was hard to tell what was going on,” Harper’s mom, Christa Ochoa, told KWTX. “Then when they were able to kind of get it to stop bleeding, the doctor was able to confirm that it looked like something from a shark.”

Despite the scare, Harper surprised her family by asking to go back to the beach the very next day, according to the outlet.