Shark Bite Rescue
Bystanders Provide First Aid to Teenager Bitten by Shark Near Ossabaw Island
A 13-year-old boy was bitten on his upper right thigh by a large shark near Ossabaw Island, Georgia, on July 1, 2026, after the group he was fishing with reeled in the animal and he tried to remove the hook. Bystanders on the dock rushed to help, and the teenager was taken to a Savannah-area hospital, where he is now in stable condition. KGNS reported that witnesses called it "a traumatic scene."
The incident happened about 20 miles south of Savannah. The boy was part of a group that caught a 5-to-6-foot shark. When he reached down to unhook it, the shark bit and latched onto his leg. His father piloted the boat to the Sunbury Crab Docks, where help was waiting. Hawaii News Now confirmed the U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the emergency response.
Bystanders Applied First Aid Before Ambulance Arrived
Terry Tatum was reading on her boat at the Sunbury Docks when the vessel arrived. She saw three teenagers and immediately grabbed a marine first aid kit. "I went to the boat and saw a traumatic scene," she said. "They caught a large shark, five or six feet, and tried to unhook it and the shark latched onto the young man's right thigh." She applied pressure to the wound right away, according to WSMV.
Off-duty paramedic BJ Comer also heard the commotion. She sprinted to her car and grabbed her emergency bag. "I ran down the dock thinking we need a tourniquet," she said. A Liberty County EMS ambulance pulled up at nearly the same moment. Comer and a co-worker helped lift the boy off the boat and into the ambulance. The quick action by both women likely helped prevent severe blood loss, according to WLBT.
Coast Guard Coordinated the Rescue From Sea to Shore
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Charleston Command Center got the call around 4:00 PM local time. Watchstanders immediately contacted the Liberty County Emergency Agency. They directed the father to head for the nearest dock, giving him a 10-minute ETA for ground EMS to meet the boat. The father steered straight for the Sunbury Crab Docks and docked at approximately 4:15 PM, according to Valley News Live.
This Was a Provoked Bite, Not a Swimming Attack
Marine biologists classify this as a "provoked bite." That means the shark bit in self-defense, not out of aggression toward a swimmer. The animal had been reeled onto the boat and was thrashing under extreme stress. Scientists at the Florida Museum of Natural History note that large sharks in this state will defensively bite anything nearby, according to KCTV5.
This matters for public safety. Only about 65 unprovoked shark bites were recorded worldwide in all of 2025. Georgia has logged roughly 17 unprovoked shark attacks in its entire recorded history. Experts say the safest option when catching a large shark is to cut the fishing line rather than try to remove the hook by hand. Local resident Tom Potter summed up the surprise many felt: "I never thought it could happen. We've had dolphins come within ten feet of us. I've never seen a shark," he told WLFI.
Ossabaw Island's Remote Location Made Fast Response Critical
Ossabaw Island has no bridges to the mainland. It is a protected state preserve covering about 26,000 acres of barrier island terrain. Reaching the mainland by boat takes time, which is why the Coast Guard's quick coordination with land-based EMS was so important. The victim was transported to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah and is in stable condition, according to 21Alive News.
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