Shark bites man swimming off sandbar near beach in Texas

Michelle Homer | KHOU-TV, Houston

Show Caption Hide Caption White shark jumps out of water, heads for biologist's feet Researchers at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy caught the rare moment a great white breached the ocean and went right for the biologist onboard. The team later warned, "white sharks are wild and unpredictable animals."

BOLIVAR PENINSULA, Texas — A beachgoer was rushed to a hospital Thursday after a shark bit him near Crystal Beach northeast of Galveston.

The shark bit the 42-year-old victim on the thigh just above the knee as he swam at about 10 a.m. CT near a sandbar, according to a photo from the Galveston County Sheriff's Office. The Alvin resident, whose name was not released, was treated at an emergency medical station on the beach before being transported to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

A hospital spokesperson confirmed that doctors are treating a shark-bite victim but had no word on his condition.

As of Monday, 20 shark attacks — including eight in Florida and two in Hawaii — have been publicly reported in the United States, according to the 2018 Shark Attack Map, which keeps track of news reports.

► July 13: Beaches closed after 2 reports of shark attacks in Florida

► July 11: At 100 million shark deaths vs. 6 humans each year, it's not fair

► May 30: Teen bitten by shark on first day of Florida vacation, family says

Texas has had 43 recorded shark attacks since 1911, according to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History. More than 40% have been in the Galveston area, including Bolivar Peninsula.

Historically, nearly 3 in 5 shark bites in the United States happen in Florida, according to the shark attack file.

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