Tobago: Bull Shark attacks British tourist, left thigh brutally severed

Trinidad and Tobago: A British national got severely injured after he was attacked by a bull shark while bathing in Turtle Beach near Starfish Hotel in Tobago on Friday, April 26, 2024. The 64-year-old Peter Smith of Berkhamsted, England, got his left arm from the elbow down and left thigh severed.The tourist was vacationing on the island and was set to leave for UK yesterday before which he decided to go for a swim but met this rare incident. According to the information, the Britisher was also bitten in the abdomen. Following the attack, he was rushed to the Scarborough General Hospital for medical treatment. The size of the Bull Shark is said to be around eight to 10 feet in length and 2 feet wide which attacked the tourist in the vicinity of Starfish Hotel around 9:15 am. A local beach vendor, ‘Blacks,’ recalled the attack and said that it was really very sad to see what happened and said that as he went close to the waters upon hearing a man’s shouting, he saw blood, and the shark itself was trying to come to the shores. Meanwhile, the Water Sports Manager at the Starfish Hotel, Orion Jakerov, also witnessed the attack and described it as a freak accident. As a result of this brutal incident, Turtle Beach/Courland Bay is temporarily closed off to the public. Several additional beaches have also been closed on the island, including Plymouth, Courland Bay, Mt. Irvine, Black Rock, Pigeon Point, Buccoo, Store Bay, and all coastal areas in between.The authorities said that the safety of all visitors remains of utmost importance, and the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) is currently conducting UAV scans along the beaches and coastline around the affected areas.In addition to this, the Buccoo Reef Marine Reef has also been temporarily closed to the public amid shark sightings. This closure was made effective immediately and applied to all recreational activities, including snorkeling, glass-bottom boat tours,  diving, and any other water-based activities within the park boundaries.