18 January 2024 , 14:59
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A 10-year-old boy was mauled by a shark at a luxury Bahamas resort where tourists can come face-to-face with the beasts underwater.
The child was attacked at the Atlantis "walk with sharks adventure" as witnesses said they saw a "pool of blood" in the water. Visitors can put on wetsuits and diving gear to walk through the hotel's shark exhibit, coming close to the animals. However, the young boy's leg was mauled during a visit on Monday and police are now investigating.
Witnesses described the terrifying attack, saying they saw the shark "honing in on him" before a "pool of blood" spilled into the water. The screaming youngster was then rushed to hospital as other holidaymakers fled the tank immediately.
But he is now in stable condition and was airlifted back to Maryland, US, after the incident, ABC reports. Kim Darden, who was staying at the hotel at the time, told Eyewitness News Bahamas the little boy's mum was "running and screaming" after the attack as his dad carried him away from the tank.
She said they had wrapped a towel around his mauled leg "tourniquet-style". She continued: "Everyone was frantic trying to figure out what was going on... It was very chaotic right then."
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
A shark is pictured swimming through water (file image) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)The Atlantis Resort is an enormous holidaymaker paradise with hotels, casinos and waterparks on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The webpage that describes their "walk with sharks adventure" has since disappeared and the exhibit has been temporarily closed.
But photos on the website show tourists in gear walking around surrounded by the animals. The description reads: “Using state-of-the-art clear glass helmets, resort guests can walk on the bottom of the shark exhibit and find themselves nose-to-nose with the guardians of the lost world of Atlantis. No swimming experience necessary."
Royal Bahamas Police Force said: “A 10-year-old male child from Maryland, USA, was reportedly bitten by a shark shortly before 4pm on Monday. Preliminary reports indicate that the boy was bitten on the right leg by a shark while participating in an expedition in a shark tank at a local resort. He was transported to the hospital for medical attention and is currently in a stable condition. Investigations are ongoing into this incident”.
The company who runs the experience, Blue Adventures by Stuart Cove, said on Wednesday that they were "deeply saddened" by the attack. Cove told ABC: "We have begun a thorough internal investigation and are fully cooperating with the authorities.
"Incidents like this involving interactions with marine life, even with the species of sharks included in this experience, are rare and never acceptable."