Teen Fighting for Life After Catching 'Flesh-Eating' Bacteria From Florida Park

A Florida teenager’s summer swim turned into a life-or-death struggle after he contracted a dangerous “flesh-eating” bacterial infection. 17-year-old Joziah Thompson caught a case of Vibrio vulnificus following a visit to a local park, his family told news outlets earlier this month. Thompson spent a week in the hospital and is still recovering at home. The family is calling for greater awareness of these infections as well as more proactive surveillance of the threat. “That’s why I’m pushing for a system put in place to know the bacteria levels in local waters. I don’t want this to happen to any other children,” Tirzah Thompson, Joziah’s mother, told Fox10 News. “My son is 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds. What if this was a 5-year-old who doesn’t have the strength to fight something off like this?” According to Tirzah, Thompson seemingly caught the infection while swimming with his siblings at Lion’s Park in Niceville. Following the visit, a minor scrape on his leg quickly turned into something much more serious. “Two days later and his entire leg was red, he was moaning and hot to the touch and in a lot of pain,” Tirzah said. “As soon as I looked at his leg I said, ‘Oh, we need to go no

Jun 17, 2026 → Jun 17, 2026