A teenage boy is in a critical condition after being bitten on the stomach by a shark in waters off Thursday Island in Far North Queensland on Saturday evening.

Emergency services were called to Cook Esplanade on the western side of Thursday Island at 6.23pm after reports that a male in their mid-teens had been attacked by a shark while swimming.

The boy suffered significant abdominal injuries and was transported to Thursday Island Hospital before being airlifted in a life-threatening condition to Townsville University Hospital.

A spokesperson for the hospital confirmed the boy’s condition remained critical on Sunday morning.

The species of shark has not been identified.

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