Urgent Mexico holiday warning after American boy, 10, is savaged by shark off Cancun beach popular with US tourists

A YOUNG boy has been savaged by a shark while on spring break.

The 10-year-old was on vacation in Mexico with his family when a shark attacked him.

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Dillion Armijo was on the last day of the family trip when the attack took place.

He was playing in knee-deep water in Cancun when he "felt a really sharp bump," he Good Morning America.

"I just saw the blood," the 10-year-old continued.

Dillon's mom Abby Armijo told GMA that she heard her son scream before realizing what had happened.

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The boy's brother came to his rescue and dragged him onto the sand.

Dillion was then rushed to a nearby hospital before being airlifted for treatment in Colorado, his mother said.

The young boy then underwent three surgeries to treat his injuries back in the US.

"All the tendons on both sides of his knee are gone, there has been a lot of nerve damage in his foot so he is no longer able to lift it," his dad Zach told GMA.

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However, there is some hope for the future.

"He will be able to run, jump, and play soccer as normal in time, it's the best we could hope for," Zach continued.

"I feel really happy knowing that I'm going to be able to play again," Dillion said.

As millions head to beach destinations for their spring vacations, experts say that it is important to stay vigilant while in the water.

"If you're going to get in the water, you have to assume the risk," shark expert Dr. Neil Hammersc GMA.

"But people can take comfort in the fact that shark bites are extremely rare" he assured travelers.

At least 22 people were mauled by sharks in the US last year, data revealed.

One beach in Florida has been dubbed the "shark attack capital of the world."

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New Smyrna Beach, , took the title after a string of terrifying encounters with the dangerous predators in recent years.

Warming temperature waters, bunker fish, and seal populations can lure them to the waters.

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