By Joe Hutchison For Dailymail.Com
02:06 28 Jan 2024, updated 02:53 28 Jan 2024
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New video footage captures the aftermath of a 10-year-old boy being bitten by a shark while swimming in a tank at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas. The incident occurred on January 15 during an event, and the video shows the boy trying to reach safety as onlookers discuss what happened and the water turns red with blood. Sharks can be seen circling the tank in the frenzy while the boy is in the water with a ‘dive instructor and dive guide’ from Blue Adventures by Stuart Cove, the group that runs the shark diving program for the resort.
The boy was rushed to the hospital and was in serious but stable condition. He was later airlifted from the hospital to Maryland for further care. According to TMZ, the boy went into the tank with a chaperone as part of the shark experience at the hotel, wearing a large white helmet and a heavy oxygen tank. Two reef sharks aggressively swam around him, causing him to lose his footing and straddle one of the sharks, which then bit his leg. Additional footage shows the incident, with staff and onlookers reacting to the situation.
The organizers stated that they have initiated an internal investigation and are cooperating with the authorities. They added that such incidents involving marine life interactions, even with the species of sharks included in this experience, are rare and unacceptable. The resort’s Mayan temple area in the Aquaventure Zone offers a ‘thrilling’ shark diving expedition, where guests are provided with special helmets to breathe underwater and get up close with nurse and reef sharks. The resort’s website previously stated that participants needed no swimming experience and had to be at least 10 years old. However, the shark tank expedition page has been removed from the website.
