Shark incident record
Shark incident at Near Boca Grande Key, west of Key West, Florida, USA — August 23, 2026
What happened
A man suffered a serious lower-leg shark bite near Boca Grande Key, west of Key West, on August 23, 2026. The U.S. Coast Guard said he was in the water near a recreational vessel. He was transferred for hospital care. A later account identified the shark as a nurse shark, which should remain a Reported species identification.
What is known
- The incident occurred near Boca Grande Key on August 23, 2026.
- The bite affected the lower leg or foot area.
- The U.S. Coast Guard assisted with the rescue.
- The person survived and received hospital treatment.
What remains uncertain
- The nurse-shark identification is not an independently confirmed authoritative species determination.
- Do not classify the incident as unprovoked or provoked without supported evidence.
Fact panel
- Date
- August 23, 2026
- Date precision
- Exact
- Location
- Near Boca Grande Key, west of Key West, Florida, USA
- Country
- United States
- Activity
- Swimming and wading
- Incident classification
- Unknown
- Area / state
- Florida
- Outcome
- Non-fatal
- Species
- Nurse shark
- Species confidence
- Reported
- Coordinate precision
- Region
Incident location
Near Boca Grande Key, west of Key West, Florida, USA, Florida, United States
Approximate area: Florida
The marker represents the named area, not the exact incident site.
The interactive map loads when it comes into view. Incident details remain available as text.
Location precision: Approximate area
Representative map position for Florida from Natural Earth. This marks the general area, not the exact incident site. This is historical location context, not live shark tracking or a measure of risk.
Sources and verification
- NBC 6 South Florida — NBC 6 South FloridaSupports: date, location, activity, outcome, Coast Guard account
- WSVN — WSVNSupports: follow-up, reported species
Shark incident records can change as investigations develop. This page shows the current verification status and was last reviewed on 2026-09-04.
Supplementary content updated: 2026-09-24. This does not change the original verification status or review date.