Teen Wade Fisherman Bitten by Bull Shark off Texas Coast

On the afternoon of July 7, 2011, a 14-year-old male from San Antonio was wade fishing on the second sandbar off Mustang Island in Nueces County, Texas, when he encountered a shark in the Gulf of Mexico. The youth was in waist-deep water near Beach Access Road 2, between Port Aransas and Corpus Christi, reeling in his fishing line when he spotted the shark approaching at high speed across the water's surface. Without time to react, the shark attacked. The teen immediately began defensive actions, jumping and kicking at the animal, which he described as striking "like a bullet." He was bitten on his right foot and shin, sustaining lacerations that he later described as feeling "like a sharp knife going through your skin." The shark disengaged after the youth's aggressive response. His parents quickly assisted him to shore, applied first aid by wrapping the wounds, and transported him to the emergency room at Corpus Christi Medical Center, where medical staff repaired the injuries with 54 stitches. The family could not definitively identify the shark species but believed it was either a bull shark or blacktip shark, estimated at approximately 5 feet in length. They theorized the shark may have mistaken the youth's foot for a stingray. The incident occurred during afternoon hours with a waxing crescent moon at 32% illumination. The victim's family, experienced in coastal fishing, emphasized their understanding that entering the ocean represents entering the sharks' natural habitat and expressed their commitment to taking appropriate safety precautions when fishing in marine environments.