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Woman bitten by shark while snorkelling off UK coast in 'first incident for 175 years'

A woman is believed to have been attacked by a shark off the UK coast in the 'first incident of its kind in 175 years'.

TN Viral Desk

Updated Aug 3, 2022, 14:48 IST

Photo : iStock

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

The woman was on a snorkelling trip in Penzance harbour in Cornwall
She is believed to have suffered from a suspected shark bite on her leg
If confirmed, this will be the first unprovoked shark attack in British waters since 1847

A woman is believed to have been attacked by a shark off the UK coast in the 'first incident of its kind in 175 years'.

The female swimmer, who was on a snorkelling trip in Penzance harbour in Cornwall, suffered from a suspected shark bite on her leg.

The woman, who has not been identified yet, may have required minor plastic surgery following the vicious bite on Thursday.

If confirmed, this will be the first unprovoked shark attack in British waters since 1847. Several fishermen have been bitten in recent years but only after bringing the sea creatures on board their vessels.

The woman was swimming some 15 miles out to sea during the £180 per person excursion when the shark, unprovoked, suddenly bit her leg.

She was rushed into the boat and administered immediate first aid. She was then taken ashore for further treatment.

Paramedics rushed to the scene to tend to the woman.

A coastguard spokesperson said, "HM Coastguard sent Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team to meet a snorkeler who suffered a suspected shark bite. The coastguard was notified just before 12.30 pm on Thursday (July 28). It is believed the swimmer suffered a leg injury. The coastguard team met the casualty at Penzance harbour to assist with passing them into the care of the ambulance service."

In a statement put out by the trip company, the woman said, "What was a very scary incident was made so much easier by the kindness and calmness of the people around me. Thank you to the trip team for getting me back to shore quickly and carefully and making me feel as safe as I possibly could. We all take these risks when we enter the habitat of a predator and we can never completely predict the reactions of a wild animal."

Blue Shark Snorkel Trips, in a statement, said, "As we know, these things can happen when we choose to interact with wild animals in their own environment. The last thing we want is to let speculation drive the media into a world of bad press for the sharks, under no fault of their own."

They added, "We immediately enacted our emergency response plan, with first aid being carried out on the person involved. Following advice and assessment from the coastguard, the person walked off the boat and received further treatment ashore. We've tried to understand why it happened and are in continued talks with shark experts."

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