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A British tourist is fighting for his life after being attacked by a shark in Tobago.
The man, named by local authorities as 64-year-old Peter Smith from Hertfordshire, was taken to intensive care after being attacked by an 8-10ft bull shark on Friday morning.
The terrifying incident happened as Smith was swimming just 30 feet from the shore at Turtle Beach, along Great Courland Bay on the island’s north coast. The man remains in a serious condition at Scarborough General Hospital on the island.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is supporting the man’s family.
Government officials have since closed seven beaches and the nearby Baku Reef Marine Park to allow for an investigation and “if possible neutralize the shark threat.”
Farley Augustine, the Tobagonian government’s chief secretary, urged tourists and local residents, including fishermen, not to go into the sea.
In a Facebook post, he said: “With the utmost care, we are working hard to ensure that Plymouth, Coolland Bay, Black Rock, Mt Irvine, Buku, Pigeon Point, Store Bay and all coastal areas in between. We have had to temporarily close the beach.”
“Currently, we have drone reconnaissance/surveillance, Coast Guard monitoring and the Ministry of Fisheries is searching the area to ensure safety.”
Tobago, one of the islands that makes up Trinidad and Tobago, is located in the southern Caribbean, approximately 119 km (74 miles) off the coast of South America.
In the past 20 years, only two shark attacks have been recorded as far south as Tobago, and neither was within 200 miles of the island itself.
Worldwide, shark attacks are rare.
Last year, there were 69 unprovoked attacks, 22 provoked bites and 14 deaths worldwide, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.
Bull sharks frequent shallow waters, even entering fresh water in estuaries, and are known for their aggressive nature.
Along with tiger sharks and great white sharks, they are one of the three species of sharks most frequently involved in attacks on humans.
