Boy, 10, hospitalised by brutal shark attack at holiday resort
A little boy is recovering in hospital in the United States after being attacked by a shark on holiday in Mexico.
Victim Dillon Armijo, from the US state of Colorado, suffered the terrifying attack in the shallow waters off a resort in Cancun on March 17 – reportedly leaving him with two broken bones, extensive nerve damage, as well as severed tendons and a ruptured meniscus.
"We went to the beach and wanted to swim or jump in waves and then like, five minutes after that, a shark just came into like, a wave and just bit my leg," the boy told local media in Denver.
His mother, Abby Armijo, said a nearby lifeguard, along with the boy's older brother, managed to pull him out of the water.
He spent four days in hospital in Mexico before being airlifted to a Children's Hospital back home. He has since undergone several operations and is expected to be able to walk again.
"We were very, very lucky that we were able to get a medevac back to the United States and get him here to do the last three surgeries," his mother said.
"I think that was what has given him such a great outcome is being back here at home with some fantastic doctors."
The 10-year-old has no more operations scheduled and is hoping to be discharged soon but will require plenty of future physiotherapy sessions. A GoFundMe campaign to support the family has nearly reached its $20,000 goal at the time of writing.
"You always say this won't happen to you, but it unfortunately did for Dillon who turned 10 years old just a few weeks ago," the page reads.
"As many families do, Dillon went on Spring Break with his mom and brother to Cancun, Mexico to take a break from school, enjoy family and live life. While playing knee-deep in the water with his brother at the beach one day, the unexpected happened - a large wave came and he was attacked by a shark.
"He suffered massive damage to his leg, including two broken bones, extensive nerve damage, as well as severed tendons and meniscus."
The boy's mother expressed immense gratitude towards those who has pledged to help the family with its ongoing medical costs.
"It's nice to know that there's so many people here to help us out," she said. "He's done fantastic, considering all that he's been through."
Shark attacks are rare in Mexico but the latest incident comes two months after a great white shark reportedly decapitated 53-year-old fisherman Manuel Lopez while he was scuba diving for molluscs in Tobari Bay. According to Tracking Sharks, another diver was killed in the area in 2022 while another shark death was recorded in Mexico in 2018.
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