Teen fights flesh-eating bacteria he got while swimming at park with siblings

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA/Gray News) - A 17-year-old from Florida was hospitalized for a week after he contracted Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria, while swimming at a park with his siblings.

Joziah Thompson, 17, spent June 1 swimming with his siblings at Lion’s Park in Niceville, Florida. Within two days, a minor scratch on his leg became a life-threatening emergency.

“Two days later, and his entire leg was red. He was moaning and hot to the touch and in a lot of pain,” said Joziah’s mother, Tirzah Thompson. “As soon as I looked at his leg, I said, ‘Oh, we need to go now.’”

Doctors soon confirmed Joziah had contracted Vibrio vulnificus, a naturally occurring bacteria found in warm, brackish coastal waters. It is sometimes called a “flesh-eating bacteria” for the severe damage it causes to skin and soft tissue.

“I was like, ‘I’m sorry. What?’ I’ve heard of it but not around here,” Tirzah Thompson said.

Treatment and recovery

Doctors first treated Joziah, who also has autism, at Twin Cities Hospital then rushed him to Studer Family Children’s Hospital in Pensacola for emergency surgery to remove infected tissue.

“It’s just been a whirlwind trying to make sure he’s OK, and it’s been very taxing for sure,” Tirzah Thompson said. “What child do you know that wants to spend their summer fighting for their life?”

After spending a week in the hospital and undergoing multiple surgeries, Joziah was able to go home June 10. He is on an aggressive antibiotics course and still runs the risk of infection and heart issues, his mother says.

Tirzah Thompson now wants local leaders to increase public awareness about Vibrio vulnificus and potential risks in public waters.

“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,” she said. “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?”

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family of nine with medical bills and lost income as Joziah’s mother stays by his side during his recovery.

What is Vibrio vulnificus

According to the Florida Department of Health, people can become infected with the bacteria by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, or when open wounds come into contact with coastal waters.

While healthy people often experience mild illness, the bacteria can become life-threatening if it enters the bloodstream, causing septic shock and severe skin infections.

In 2025, 33 people in the state contracted the bacteria, and five of them died.