An eight-year-old lad is fighting for his life in hospital after he was attacked by a shark while snorkelling with his family.
The youngster was swimming with his father and sister close to Horseshoe Reef in Key Largo, Florida, when the shark tore into his leg just before 3.30pm on Monday.
He sustained severe injuries, losing a “significant amount of blood” from a deep bite above the knee.
A nearby scuba boat rushed to assist, guiding the family back to Garden Cove Marina where paramedics were waiting, WPLG reports.
First responders said the boy appeared “pale” as two tourniquets and pressure bandages were frantically applied in a desperate attempt to save his life, reports the Mirror.
“He’s been applied two tourniquets, we also put [inaudible] bandage to control the bleeding,” a medic radioed.
“We’re in the process of getting some vital signs.”
The child was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in Miami in critical condition.
He underwent emergency surgery on Monday night, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay confirmed to the Miami Herald.
His condition on Tuesday morning was not immediately known.
Authorities have not released the boy’s identity, and doctors are yet to say how long his recovery might take.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office has notified the US Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Florida is known as one of the world’s hotspots for shark encounters.
Last year, the state recorded 14 shark bites, accounting for half of all US cases and nearly a third of global incidents, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Its beaches are notorious for attacks. New Smyrna Beach, near Daytona, holds the grim record with 277 since 1642 – the highest anywhere.
Daytona Beach comes in second, while Cocoa Beach, Palm Beach and several others also rank highly.
The authorities have yet to confirm the species behind Monday’s horrific attack, which has left the boy fighting for his life. The Mirror has reached out to Monroe Police, the US Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for further information.
This follows shocking footage showing a surfer coming face-to-face with an eight-foot great white shark during a paddle at the beach.
Carlos Gauna, 45, was filming with his drone camera when he captured the close encounter off the coast of Santa Barbara, California on June 30.
In the video, a man in red shorts can be seen lying face down on his surfboard as the dark-coloured shark approaches him under the water.