A scuba diver has been bitten by a shark off the coast of Cornwall in the first attack of its kind in 175 years in a ‘very scary incident’ at sea.
The woman – who has not been identified – was in Penzance, Cornwall, with a Blue Shark Snorkeling Trip when the crash happened on Thursday.
While she was in the water, a shark bit her leg during an organized excursion of £180 per person for 15 miles in the waters.
The swimmer was rushed back to their boat, where she was given immediate first aid and brought ashore for further treatment.
This is the first shark attack in British waters since 1847.
Last night, the tour group – led by photographer Victoria Walker – said they were investigating how it could have happened.
The bite victim said this afternoon in a statement released by the travel agency: ‘A very scary incident was made so much easier by the kindness and calmness of those around me.
‘Thanks to the team of the trip for bringing me back to shore quickly, carefully and making me feel as safe as possible.
‘We all take these risks when we enter a predator habitat and we can never fully predict a wild animal’s response. ‘
The woman was rescued by the coast guard and left in the care of paramedics. HM Coastguard has confirmed that it is believed the injury was caused by a suspected shark bite.
The female swimmer is said to have participated in a diving trip to see blue sharks in the port of Penzance. Photo: Blue shark stock photo
A spokesman said: ‘HM Coastguard dispatched the Penzance Coast Rescue Team to meet a diver suspected of being bitten by a shark.
‘The Coast Guard was notified shortly before 12.30pm on Thursday (July 28). It is believed that the swimmer suffered a leg injury.
‘The Coast Guard met the victims at Penzance harbor to assist in getting them into ambulance care.’
Shark expert Richard Peirce told MailOnline: ‘Most likely it was an exploratory bite, obviously sharks don’t have arms or legs, they have mouths. They are very inquisitive creatures.
‘Hopefully this bite is relatively mild but that doesn’t mean blue sharks can’t do as much damage as they can.
‘I started shark diving trips off Cornwall in 2006 and myself and my guides are always in the water with the people we’re taking out.
‘We used Shark Billy, the stake with which we can push a shark out if they get too close. You don’t want to use your hands to do it.
‘I don’t know what happened on this occasion, I heard that a tourist on a snorkeling trip was injured, but the water would freeze first to attract sharks.
Port of Penzance, where the organized cruise started before it happened
Several species visit Cornish waters every year, including blue sharks (image available, pictured), porbeagle sharks and basking sharks – species that do not tend to attack humans – but shark attacks Attacks are still very rare, especially in the UK
‘The blood in the water will stimulate the shark’s senses and they will make their initial approach in search of dinner.
‘Trips like this must be handled sensitively to sharks and must also be safe for the participants. It is hoped that the appropriate safety instructions were followed on this occasion. ‘
Blue Shark Snorkel Trips said in a statement: ‘We want people to know that we have had an issue.
‘These incidents are extremely rare and can be easily misunderstood, so we want this to be handled as reasonably as possible.
‘As we know, these things can happen when we choose to interact with wildlife in their habitat. The last thing we want is for rumors to push the media into a world of bad journalism for the sharks, through no fault of their own.
‘We immediately issued our emergency response plan, with first aid to the person involved.
‘Following advice and assessment from the coast guard, this person stepped off the boat and received further treatment ashore.
‘We have been trying to understand why it happened and are continuing to negotiate with shark experts.’
The company did not respond to many calls or messages and only posted the information on its Facebook page.
Several species visit Cornish waters every year, including blue sharks, porbeagle sharks and basking sharks – which are not prone to attack humans – but shark attacks are still rare, especially in the wild. in the UK.
The UK Marine Fishing website said: ‘Blue shark attacks on humans are extremely rare but have been documented. In total, worldwide, there are four confirmed cases of fatal blue shark attacks with 25 confirmed non-fatal attacks.
‘In August 2012, a beach in Ceredigion, Wales was closed to guests due to the presence of a blue shark.
‘The shark was spotted swimming among the boats and came very close to the shore, swam past tourists by just a few inches.
‘Last of the month, another beach in West Dorset had to be closed for an hour and a half due to another blue shark. “
In 2017, surfer Rich Thomson also appeared to be bitten on the thumb by a smooth hound – a relative of the shark.
The last recorded unprovoked ‘attack’ was at Felixstowe when a windsurfer’s board was bitten by a shark in 2016.
Even so, windsurfers are not injured and shark bites tend to occur only when provoked during fishing or other activities.
