In the wake of a Texas fisherman hooking what appeared to be a bull shark in the Guadalupe River, the City of New Braunfels has come forward to quash any fears of a finned menace lurking in the waterways of Comal County. As the rumor mill churned out visions of tubers dog-paddling among sharks, city officials made it clear that social media's exaggeration had gone overboard.

With images of wide-open great white maws splashing across feeds, the City of New Braunfels took to Facebook in an attempt to allay concerns. "Despite recent social media posts warning tubers about a shark being caught in 'the Guadalupe River,' there have been no reports of sharks in the relatively shallow fresh water of the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels," the city’s statement assured, as reported by FOX San Antonio.

Stretching a considerable 230 miles from Kerr County to the Gulf of Mexico, the Guadalupe River hosts six hydroelectric dams in the stretch between New Braunfels and the coast alone, all very likely to impede the travelogue of any adventurous bull shark that swims in fresh water which, according to the National Wildlife Federation, is not that uncommon. However, the city cast doubt on this fish tale, making it clear the shark's journey would be more myth than reality.

Poking fun at the frenzy, officials did concede, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, that while it is "technically possible for bull sharks to swim in fresh water, there are very unlikely no sharks in the rivers in New Braunfels...probably," as humorously noted in a social media post from the city. Meanwhile, the city's post also obliged by sharing an educational tidbit, acknowledging that the fisherman's catch contained within, could indeed inhabit brackish waters, as shared by a Yahoo News article.

While the thought of sharks in the rivers may send a shiver down the spine of Texans looking to beat the heat, the City of New Braunfels reassured their river-goers that the actual chances of encountering a shark in their tubing paradise are next to none. So, the message is clear: Fear not, keep calm, and float on.