Miami, FL – A 9-year-old American boy is receiving medical treatment in South Florida after he was seriously injured in a dog attack while visiting the Bahamas, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
The attack happened Tuesday morning on a beach in Alice Town on North Bimini, the Bahamian island chain located closest to the Florida coast.
Police said the child had walked from the apartment where he was staying to collect sand when several dogs attacked him.
According to investigators, an unidentified man witnessed the attack and chased the dogs away, allowing the child to escape.
The boy then returned to the nearby apartment and alerted his mother, who contacted emergency responders.
Officers and medical personnel responded to the scene and transported the child to a local hospital.
Police said he suffered multiple bite wounds to his right thigh, right arm, left leg, face and head.
Medical staff classified his injuries as life threatening and determined he required specialized treatment unavailable on the island.
The child was airlifted to Miami aboard a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft with his father accompanying him during the flight.
Video released by the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast shows Air Station Miami crews transferring the boy from the aircraft to a waiting ambulance before he was taken to a nearby hospital.
Authorities have not released his identity or provided an update on his condition.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said investigators have identified the owner of the dogs involved in the attack.
Officials said the owner is cooperating with the investigation and assisting authorities as they work to locate, secure and remove the animals involved in the incident.