Shark incident record
Shark incident at Near Boca Grande Key, west of Key West, Florida, USA — August 23, 2026
CorroboratedUnknownNon-fatal
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
- Outcome
- Non-fatal
- Species
- Nurse shark
- Species confidence
- Reported
- Coordinate precision
- Locality
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.