Shark Bites 5-Year-Old Girl at Galveston Beach

By THC Staff | June 17, 2016

 

Around 5:30 on Tuesday afternoon, a 5-year-old girl was bit by a shark at Pirates Beach in Galveston, Texas. The girl, her brother and her father were heading back to the sand from roughly a foot and a half water when the child screamed. Her father then spotted the 3 to 4 foot long shark beside the ring tube holding his daughter.

After he brought his children to shore, a stranger stepped in to help the family by fashioning a makeshift tourniquet out of a dog leash. The young girl was then rushed to UTMB. She is currently in recovery after having surgery and is expected to be fine.

This is not a regular occurrence on the shores of Galveston beach, but visitors should be mindful. The last reported shark bite occurred in October 2015 when a 13-year-old boy found himself in the middle of a school of fish. Beach patrol notes that if you see schooling fish, stay out of the water as a shark might be trailing behind looking for their next meal.