German tourist survives shark attack in Thailand’s Phang Nga
A 57-year-old tourist from Germany was attacked by a shark on a beach in Thailand. The woman was swimming in the sea when the animal bit her leg. She survived but sustained severe injuries.
According to "Bild", the German woman was on holiday in the Thai city of Phang Nga. She was swimming in the sea close to the hotel where she was staying. The shark sank its teeth into the 57-year-old woman's calf.
Witnesses helped the severely injured tourist to get out of the water. As they recounted, she was covered in blood and screaming in pain. According to the newspaper, she was taken to a local hospital.
She had an open wound 12 inches long, after which she was transferred to a larger facility in Phuket, where she underwent surgery. According to Thai media, the attacked tourists are feeling well.
The head of the Siwat Rawangkun district said in an interview with the portal thai.news that the beach is safe, and an investigation is underway. Marine experts have been called in to clarify whether it was indeed a shark attack or possibly another animal.
Local authorities claim that incidents involving shark attacks are extremely rare. However, according to Bild, a decision was made to put up a warning sign with the message: "Caution: Harmful and venomous marine creatures."
According to the portal "Royal Vacation," shark attacks in Thailand are not very frequent—they are sporadic. In 2022, an 8-year-old boy was attacked. The same happened in 2020 when a 75-year-old man from Germany was the victim. The predator attacked the legs of its victims. In recent weeks, the media also reported a shark attack in the Canary Islands. The creature attacked a German woman while she was sailing a catamaran. The 30-year-old lost a leg and then died on the way to the hospital.
The newspaper, citing statistics from the International Shark Attack File, reports that shark attacks have recently increased. Forty years ago, there were 226 attacks; in the 1990s, there were 500, and from 2010-2019, the number rose to even 800.
