A shark attacked a 63-year-old American man in the Bahamas over the weekend, police said.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force reported that emergency crews responded Sunday afternoon to a call about the attack. When they arrived, they found the man — who had apparently been spearfishing — with severe injuries.
"He was taken to a local clinic for medical treatment before being airlifted to the U.S. for additional treatment," police said in a statement.
RELATED STORY | 9-year-old girl who survived shark attack recounts terrifying moments
Authorities did not release the man’s identity or specify what type of shark was involved.
Shark attacks are rare, but the Bahamas ranks among the top 10 locations worldwide for confirmed unprovoked incidents, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File. The database shows there have been just over 30 recorded attacks in the Bahamas since 1580 — a fraction of the more than 1,600 documented in the United States during the same period.
The museum notes most shark attacks occur during swimming and wading, followed by surfing and board sports.
RELATED STORY | Shark attack survivor presses her state for an alert system to keep people safe in the water
