NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A Texas teenager was fighting for his life as a shark bit him while boating with his father on Memorial Day weekend.
The incident unfolded around 3:15 p.m. on Monday, when authorities with the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office contacted the U.S. Coast Guard regarding reports that a 17-year-old boy had been bitten by a shark off the coast of Galveston Island, according to ABC 13.
The teenage victim, his father and a third individual were aboard a boat roughly two hours offshore when the bite occurred, FOX 61 reported.
Authorities said that the teen was bitten by the shark while trying to pull it onto the boat, according to ABC 13.
A 17-year-old boy is recovering after reportedly being bitten by a shark while boating off the coast of Galveston Island, Texas, on May 25, 2026. (iStock)
The boy’s father immediately applied a tourniquet to the wound and began navigating toward the Galveston Yacht Basin when the vessel became disabled near the jetties in the Gulf, FOX 61 reported.
The disabled boat reportedly prompted an emergency response from the Coast Guard, with rescue crews applying a second tourniquet to mitigate the teen’s bleeding before transporting him back to land.
The teenage victim was bitten by a shark while trying to pull the animal onto a boat off the coast of Galveston Island, Texas, on May 25, 2026. (iStock)
Authorities have not revealed what caused the boat to become disabled or how the shark was brought onto the vessel.
The group’s boat reportedly became disabled while navigating back to Galveston Island after a teenage boy was bitten by a shark while boating in Texas on Monday, May 25, 2026. (iStock)
The victim was conscious upon arriving back on shore and subsequently taken to the University of Texas Medical Branch for medical treatment, ABC 13 reported.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The teenage victim was taken to the University of Texas Medical Branch after his father applied a tourniquet following a shark attack off the coast of Galveston Island, Texas, on May 25, 2026. (Jill Karnicki/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Authorities have not released details regarding the extent of the teen’s injuries or the shark species involved in the incident.
The U.S. Coast Guard and Galveston County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.
