5-year-old girl bitten by shark in Galveston

The Pirates Beach subdivision on Galveston's west end is shown in the photo above. A child was bitten by a shark near Pirates Beach on Tuesday. The Pirates Beach subdivision on Galveston's west end is shown in the photo above. A child was bitten by a shark near Pirates Beach on Tuesday. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Chronicle Photo: Mayra Beltran, Chronicle Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close 5-year-old girl bitten by shark in Galveston 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

A 5-year-old girl was bitten by a shark Tuesday evening near Pirates Beach in Galveston.

She was bitten at about 5:30 p.m., Galveston Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis said.

A Kerrville father, his daughter and 12-year-old son were visiting relatives in Pirates Beach when the man and the children went for a swim on Tuesday evening.

The girl, whose name has not been released, was floating in knee-deep water in a ring float when her father heard a scream and saw a 3- to 4-foot shark with a white belly. He pulled the child away from the shark and it swam away.

The child was bitten below the calf above the left foot, Davis said.

A bystander applied a tourniquet after the father rushed his daughter to shore, according to Davis. She was transported to the University of Texas Medical Branch, where she underwent surgery.

She suffered vascular damage. Her condition is unknown at this time.

It was initially reported that the girl was 6, but a tweet from the Galveston County Health District EMS later said the child was 5 years old.

The Chronicle's Harvey Rice contributed to this report.