Shark Bite Incident Reported at Assateague State Park, Maryland (May 2026)

A shark bite incident was reported at Assateague State Park, a barrier island park located along the Maryland coast near Ocean City, on or around May 17–18, 2026. The victim, identified in reports as Brendan Oster, was a surfer who sustained bite wounds to his right hand and subsequently received treatment at a local hospital. Maryland Department of Natural Resources officials were unable to formally evaluate the injuries, and as a result the incident remained unconfirmed by DNR at the time of initial reporting. A DNR officer responding to the scene sustained a separate injury in a fall during the response.

No information regarding the victim's age or sex was available in source reporting. The shark species involved was not identified, and no details about the severity of the victim's injuries beyond the location of the wound were confirmed by authorities. Multiple outlets characterized the incident as a possible shark bite, reflecting the absence of official confirmation.

Assateague State Park occupies a section of Assateague Island, a barrier island shared by Maryland and Virginia. The park's Atlantic-facing beaches are used for surfing and other water recreation. The incident occurred in mid-May, a period that precedes the peak summer beach season along the Delmarva coast.