Overview

• A shark bit a seven-year-old’s arm and leg on July 26 while he and other children jumped off the Taiohae Bay quay on Nuku Hiva.
• Local firefighters administered first aid at the island’s hospital before the child was airlifted 1,500 kilometers to the Centre hospitalier de la Polynésie française in Tahiti.
• Officials have launched an investigation into whether fishermen’s discarded fish carcasses near the quay attracted blacktip, hammerhead and lemon sharks to the bathing area.
• Witnesses and rescuers reported that the victim’s wounds were long and deep, marking an unusually severe attack for the region.
• Shark incidents are extremely rare in French Polynesia and typically involve spearfishing accidents or prohibited shark-feeding activities rather than unsupervised swimming spots.