A British tourist was seriously injured in a shark attack on the north coast of the Caribbean island of Tobago on Friday. The man was swimming near the Starfish hotel in Courland Bay when he was suddenly grabbed by a shark more than two meters long.
64-year-old Peter Smith from Hertfordshire, England, was on holiday on the Caribbean island with his wife and a couple of friends and was due to fly back to the UK later that day when he decided to take one last dip in the sea. He was attacked by a bull shark.
Smith was seriously injured in his left arm and leg and suffered stab wounds to his abdomen and wounds to his right hand. He was immediately taken to Scarborough Hospital in Tobago where he underwent surgery and was subsequently admitted to intensive care.
Stable condition
His wife Joanna left on Sunday BBC know that her husband’s condition is now stable. “As of this morning, Peter is aware of what is happening around him and can communicate a little, although he still requires heavy medication,” she said. She also thanked two friends who were also in the water during the attack and intervened.
Orion Jakerov, water sports manager at the Starfish hotel, saw firsthand how they tried to keep the animal away from their friend. He said no one saw the shark coming, he said TheStandard. “They were in waist to shoulder deep water, so they weren’t even deep. “I think they had their backs turned to the shark and they were just lounging around and no one saw the shark coming.”
Following the attack, several beaches and coastal areas on the island were closed. A $10,000 reward was initially offered to anyone who could catch the shark, but it was later rescinded. The British Foreign Office has said it will assist the family.
According to the Florida-based International Shark Attack database, there were 14 shark attack fatalities last year. There were also 69 unprovoked shark attacks and 22 unprovoked attacks worldwide.
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