A family snorkeling trip in the Florida Keys turned into a nightmare when an eight-year-old boy was viciously attacked by a shark, leaving him clinging to life as panicked rescuers rushed to save him.

A Vacation Turns Tragic

The attack happened Monday afternoon off Horseshoe Reef in Key Largo, where the boy was snorkeling with his father. Without warning, a shark latched onto his leg, causing what authorities described as “significant” blood loss.

Nearby boaters raced to pull the child from the water, while a desperate 911 call captured the harrowing scene.

“So, we have an 8-year-old, significant amount of blood loss… patient is pale,” the dispatcher can be heard saying in audio obtained by WSVN.

Paramedics applied two tourniquets above the wound, located just above the boy’s knee, and bandaged the gaping injury to slow the bleeding.

Airlifted to Trauma Center

The boy was rushed by helicopter to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, where he underwent emergency surgery Monday night, according to Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay.

As of Tuesday morning, his condition had not been publicly updated, though officials confirmed he had survived the initial trauma. Both the U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have been notified of the attack.

A Summer of Shark Horror

The brutal mauling is the latest in a series of terrifying shark encounters this summer across Florida’s waters.

In August, spearfisherman Chance Armand was left soaked in blood after a bull shark tried to rip off his foot near Pensacola Pass. He survived after friends fashioned a makeshift tourniquet from t-shirts and raced him to shore.

Just days earlier, a seven-year-old boy had his leg torn apart by a 13-foot shark, sparking fresh fears about the frequency of attacks in recent months.

Community in Shock

The Key Largo incident has shaken locals and tourists alike, as officials urge caution while enjoying the waters.

For the boy’s family, what began as a carefree snorkeling adventure is now a fight for survival, with prayers pouring in from across Florida for his recovery.