A shark attacked a British man in the Caribbean on Friday, forcing the government of Trinidad & Tobago to close seven beaches as a result.
Peter Smith, 64, was swimming just over 30 feet from the shore in Courland Bay, Trinidad & Tobago, when a bull shark attacked him, the BBC reported. He is currently in intensive care at the island’s Scarborough General Hospital and in stable condition, according to BBC.
A British tourist seriously injured in a shark attack off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago is “aware of what is happening and can communicate”, according to his wife https://t.co/thblCAomuw
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 29, 2024
“Peter has suffered damage to his left arm and leg, puncture wounds to the abdomen and injuries to his right hand, the full extent of which are still being evaluated,” Smith’s wife told BBC.
Chief Secretary Farley Augustine of the Tobago House of Assembly said Smith suffered “significant wounds” and had to have some fingers reattached. The bull shark that attacked Smith was allegedly 10 feet long and 2 feet wide, the BBC reported. (RELATED: 11-Year-Old Injured After Shark Attack While Swimming)
While the BBC does not claim that Smith lost an arm or a leg, several outlets, including Great Britain News, report that Smith lost his left arm and left leg during the attack.
Water Sports Manager at Starfish Hotel Orion Jakerov witnessed the shark attack which took place at Turtle Beach in Tobago. He gave TTT News an account of what he described as a freak accident. Video Credit: Caricia Douglas pic.twitter.com/QTIQnKirJS
— TTT Live Online (@tttliveonline) April 26, 2024
A $10,000 reward was offered to anyone who could relocate the shark. Additionally, officials closed seven beaches and used drones to survey the area, according to the BBC.
Bull sharks are widely considered the most dangerous kind of shark due to their aggressiveness and tendency to swim up rivers, says the National Wildlife Federation.