In the vast expanse of the Texas coastline, the beauty of the sea invites countless tourists each year. However, with human interaction comes the occasional and often misunderstood encounter with nature’s marine predators. Our weekly updates on shark attacks in Texas aim to provide accurate information, helping to ensure safe interactions between people and these majestic creatures. Stay informed and enjoy the wonders of the Gulf without unnecessary fear.
Recent Shark Attacks in Texas
| Date / Time | Country / Area | Activity | Name | Sex / Age | Injury | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-07-2022 | USA ,Texas | Surfing | male | M | Foot bitten | Blacktip |
| 08-28-2021 11h45 | USA ,Texas | Boogie boarding | male | M | Lacerations both sides of lower leg immediately above the ankle | |
| 08-09-2018 10h00 | USA ,Texas | Spearfishing | Blaine Shelton | M /42 | Laceration to right leg above the knee | Said to involve a bull shark, 5' to 6' |
| 07-16-2018 18h00 | USA ,Texas | Surfing | Laura Dean | F | Single laceration to right thigh inconsistent with shark bite | |
| 04-28-2018 | USA ,Texas | Fishing | Mike Ruthenback | M | Forearm bitten by hooked shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | Sandtiger shark' |
| 09-02-2017 | USA ,Texas | Swimming | female | F | Lacerations to foot | |
| 06-14-2016 17h30 | USA ,Texas | Floating in tube | Marin Alice Melton | F /6 | Injury to lower leg | 3' to 4' shark |
| 01-24-2016 09h30 / 10h00 | USA ,Texas | Spearfishing | Keith Love | M | Bruised ribs & tail bone, speargun broken and wetsuit cut | Bull sharks x 2 |
| 10-05-2015 10h00 | USA ,Texas | Wading | Gregory Slaughter | M /13 | Foot & hands bitten | 4' to 5' shark |
| 06-07-2014 Afternoon | USA ,Texas | Kneeling in the water | Mikaela Amezaga Medina | F /14 | Shallow lacerations & puncture wounds below shoulder | |
| 06-17-2013 14h45 | USA ,Texas | Swimming | Garrett Sebesta | M /15 | Left leg & hand bitten | |
| 08-28-2011 19h00 | USA ,Texas | Wade Fishing | Mary Locklear | F /39 | Lacerations to anterior left shin, abrasion to posteior right leg | |
| 07-13-2011 20h30 | USA ,Texas | Surf fishing | Eugenio González Paez | M | Lacerations to left foot | |
| 07-07-2011 17h00 | USA ,Texas | Swimming | Nicholas Vossler | M /12 | Foot bitten | |
| 07-07-2011 | USA ,Texas | Wade Fishing | Shawn Hamilton | M /14 | Lacerations to right foot | |
| 05-30-2011 15h00 | USA ,Texas | Standing or boogie boardin | Kori Robertson | F /22 | Lacerations & punctures to right thigh | |
| 03-29-2011 | USA ,Texas | Standing, holding shark pup | Orlando | M | Minor laceration to shoulder from captive shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | Blacktip shark pup |
| 07-16-2010 | USA ,Texas | Fishing | Charlie Gauzer | M | Leg bitten | |
| 06-27-2010 | USA ,Texas | Surfing | Chad Rogers | M /20 | Lacerations to right foot | Bull shark, 5' |
| 07-24-2009 Afternoon | USA ,Texas | Wading | Deidre Casas | F /14 | Lacerations to anterior left lower leg | |
| 10-07-2006 | USA ,Texas | Surfing | Freddy Torres | M | Lacerations to lower left leg | 1' to 4' shark |
| 07-23-2006 | USA ,Texas | Surf fishing | R.K. Halbert | M | Right foot bitten | Bull shark, 4' to 5' |
| 08-19-2005 20h00 | USA ,Texas | Walking | Julian Elizondo | M /12 | Left foot bitten | |
| 07-13-2005 13h00 | USA ,Texas | Holding onto an inflatable boat | Lydia Paulk | F /14 | Left foot bitten | [4' to 5'] |
| 06-02-2005 Morning | USA ,Texas | Wading | male | M /6 | Two 2-inch lacerations on right foot | |
| 04-07-2005 19h00 | USA ,Texas | Surfing | Gianluca Ferrario | M /37 | Left foot bitten | |
| 09-10-2004 Between 05h00 and 08h00 | USA ,Texas | Surf fishing | male | M | Minor scratch on calf | Shark involvement questionable |
| 07-27-2004 16h30 | USA ,Texas | Swimming | Erika Hailey | F /19 | Right foot bitten | 1.2 m to 1.5 m [4' to 5'] shark |
| 07-25-2004 19h30 | USA ,Texas | Wading / fishing & carrying a bag of fish | Aaron Perez | M /11 | Right forearm nearly severed and bites above & below the right knee | Bull shark |
| 05-29-2004 19h45 | USA ,Texas | Wading | Ryan Eckstrum | M /16 | Puncture wounds on shin | 0.9 m to 1.5 m [3' to 5'] shark |
| 05-04-2004 16h30 | USA ,Texas | Tandem surfing | Rachel Gore | M /28 | No injury, board bitten | Mako shark, 1.8 m [6'] |
| 08-29-2003 12h20 | USA ,Texas | Fishing | Saul Gonzalez | M | PROVOKED INCIDENT Hooked shark pulled onboard bit his arm | 1.2 m [4'] bull shark |
| 06-12-2001 | USA ,Texas | Swimming | Jared Black | M /14 | Leg lacerated | 1.5 m [5'] shark |
| 05-29-2001 | USA ,Texas | male | M /16 | Survived | ||
| 07-07-2000 | USA ,Texas | Jumping | Robby Doolittle | M /5 | Ankle & foot lacerated | Lemon shark, 2.1 m to 2.4 m [7' to 8'] |
| 06-10-2000 16h00 | USA ,Texas | Surfing | Kenny Alexander | M /17 | Foot lacerated | Blacktip shark, 1.2 m to 1.8 m [4' to 6'] |
| 08-05-1997 | USA ,Texas | Wading | female | F /10 | Wrist & am bitten | 1 m shark |
| 07-06-1995 | USA ,Texas | Surfing | Mark George | M /34 | Foot bitten | |
| 08-19-1990 | USA ,Texas | Surfing | male | M | Minor cuts to foot | |
| 08-19-1990 13h30 | USA ,Texas | Wade fishing | Jimmy Allen | M /18 | Minor injury | |
| 07-22-1990 Evening | USA ,Texas | Wading | Barbara Green | F /53 | 10-inch laceration to right foot | |
| 10-11-1989 Evening | USA ,Texas | Surfing | Jason Largent | M /12 | Foot & leg bitten | 4' shark |
| 07-07-1989 | USA ,Texas | Playing | Rene Richbourg | F /9 | Leg bitten | 4' shark |
| 07-12-1987 18h30 | USA ,Texas | Body surfing | Carol Viau | F /32 | Left foot bitten | 4' shark |
| 07-12-1987 14h30 | USA ,Texas | Wading | Brenda King | F /16 | Puncture wounds to right foot | 4' shark |
| 04-18-1987 18h00 | USA ,Texas | Swimming | April Dawn Voglino | F /16 | Right arm severed above elbow | |
| 07-24-1984 12h00 | USA ,Texas | Swimming | Carmen Gaytan | F /18 | Legs severely lacerated | 1.2 m [4'] shark |
| 07-24-1984 14h30 | USA ,Texas | Swimming | girl | F /13 | Lacerations on right foot | |
| 06-06-1977 | USA ,Texas | Collecting fish from net | Dan Baen, Jr. | M /25 | Lacerations to wrist | Bull shark, 4' to 5' |
| 04-28-1976 | USA ,Texas | Unknown | Possible drowning victim, remains retrieved from 400-lb shark caught by fishermen on 28-Apr-1976 | Shark involvement prior to death was not confirmed | ||
| 05-25-1969 19h00 | USA ,Texas | Surf-fishing | Walter Barnett | M | Foot lacerated when he stepped on the shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | 2' to 3' shark |
| 07-31-1966 | USA ,Texas | Diving for sand dollars | Robert W. Russell | M /16 | Dorsum of right foot grazed | Lemon shark or sandtiger shark |
| 07-17-1966 15h00 | USA ,Texas | Fishing | Tommy Barilek | M /14 | Lacerations to right foot | |
| 06-04-1966 17h00 | USA ,Texas | Swimming | David N. Holmgreen | M /18 | Punctures on thigh & buttock | a small shark |
| 08-19-1962 15h30 | USA ,Texas | Surf fishing in waist-deep water | Hans Fix | M /40 | FATAL, lower right leg bitten | Unknown |
| 08-25-1960 | USA ,Texas | Aircraft crashed into sea | Naval aviator | M | Partial human remains spotted by helicopter, shark involvement, if any, may have been post-mortum | Shark involvement prior to death was not confirmed |
| 04-04-1953 Afternoon | USA ,Texas | Swimming | Susan Smith | F /19 | Lacerations to right foot | |
| 07-10-1950 | USA ,Texas | Swimming | Mark Majors III | M /11 | Laceration to leg | Hammerhead shark |
| 07-09-1950 | USA ,Texas | M | Human remains found in shark | Shark involvement prior to death was not confirmed | ||
| 02-13-1948 | USA ,Texas | C47 aircraft carrying 5,000 lbs of ice ditched in the sea | Pilot, Neil Womack | M | FATAL. Womack was injured when plane went down, 3 days later he fell off liferaft & was taken by a shark | |
| 07-14-1939 Morning | USA ,Texas | Seine netting | John Bolling | M | Leg bitten by snared shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | 18' shark |
| 06-15-1937 Night | USA ,Texas | Swimming | Hal A. Thompson, Jr. | M /14 | FATAL | |
| 05-30-1937 | USA ,Texas | Fishing | William Siskalo | M | Leg nipped by hooked shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | 4' shark |
| 07-14-1932 | USA ,Texas | male | M /17 | Body recovered from 9' shark but death due to shark bite was not confirmed | Shark involvement prior to death unconfirmed | |
| 08-18-1931 | USA ,Texas | Swimming | P. Kincaid Zifflewwiggett | M | Minor injury | |
| 05-27-1930 18h00 | USA ,Texas | Swimming / floating | A.B. Wattigney | M | Lacerations to arm | |
| 09-01-1928 | USA ,Texas | Fishing | W.R. Loesberg | M | Knee bitten | |
| 09-23-1911 Early morning | USA ,Texas | Jumped overboard to rescue companion | John Blomquist, a dredgerman | M | FATAL | |
| 05-01-1911 | USA ,Texas | Fishing | Mateo Zapeda | M | Bitten on left leg by hooked shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | 5' shark |
| 01-01-1911 | USA ,Texas | Swimming | a sailor | M | Minor injury to feet |
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How do authorities in Texas work to decrease the risk of shark attacks?
In Texas, United States, the authorities work to decrease the risk of shark attacks through implementing rigorous beach patrols, maintaining shark activity monitoring programs, and providing public education on shark behavior and safety guidelines. These measures aim to ensure the safety of beachgoers while also preserving the marine ecosystem of Texas.
Are shark attacks in Texas usually provoked or unprovoked?
In Texas, United States, most shark attacks are typically unprovoked – occurring when sharks mistake humans for their natural prey. However, a smaller percentage of incidents can be provoked, often resulting from humans inadvertently triggering an aggressive response due to intrusive actions.
Has Texas seen any trend or pattern in shark attacks over the past decade?
In the past decade, Texas, United States, has witnessed a slight increase in the number of shark attacks, with a notable concentration during the warmer summer months when both humans and sharks are more active in coastal waters. However, it’s crucial to note that despite this trend, the overall risk of shark attacks in Texas remains relatively low compared to other coastal areas in the country.
