11-year-old girl bitten in suspected ‘rare’ shark attack, Texas officials say

An 11-year-old girl was injured Thursday afternoon after apparently being bitten by a shark, according to South Padre Island officials.

The girl suffered injuries to her thigh in the attack, which occurred around 3 p.m. on the Texas island, a city spokesperson said.

She was visiting from Colorado with family members, who stated a shark was seen nearby around the time of the incident. The girl was taken to a local hospital and a city official noted optimism in a news release Friday.

“We are thankful that the injuries are not worse,” South Padre Island fire chief Jim Pigg said. “Shark bites are rare on South Padre Island.”

There have been 44 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in Texas since 1911, according to the International Shark Attack File. The website says there is a 1 in 11.5 million chance of being attacked by a shark while in the ocean.

This story was originally published September 17, 2021 at 12:09 PM with the headline "11-year-old girl bitten in suspected ‘rare’ shark attack, Texas officials say."