Fisherman dies after shark 'chomps off' limb while diving for scallops
The man was free diving at a depth of about eight metres when he was attacked.
A young fisherman has died after being attacked by a great white shark while he was diving for scallops.
Víctor Alejandro Soto García, 21, was bitten by the four-metre predator which, according to reports, bit a chunk of flesh from the side of his body and chomped off one of his limbs.
García was free diving at a depth of about eight metres near Yavaros Port in the Mexican state of Sonora when he was attacked at around 1pm on 29 December.
The young man's companions managed to rescue his body from the water while the marine animal was still prowling the area. They attempted to resuscitate the mauled man in their boat, but his injuries were too severe and he quickly passed away.
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Community urged to carry out 'necessary safety measures'
Red Cross paramedics confirmed his injuries led to the fisherman’s death. Oscar Ruiz Valdez, director of Civil Protection in Sonora State, urged the local fishing community to carry out all necessary safety measures to prevent a similar incident from taking place in the future.
The young man was not wearing his shark repellent bracelet at the time of the attack. Such repellents emit electrical pulses that disrupt a shark's ability to hone in on their prey or give off a smell they find unappealing.
The official highlighted that a shark repellent bracelet could have saved his life if he had been wearing it at the time. An investigation into the victim’s death is ongoing.
Several shark attacks in Australia this summer
It comes after a teenage boy was mauled while surfing near Ethel Beach in South Australia last week. The 15-year-old was visiting the area with his father when the fatal incident occurred.
Meanwhile, another surfer was bitten by a shark at about 4.30pm on Christmas while surfing at Old Bar on the Mid-North Coast of NSW. The bite was almost deadly as it was just a few centimetres from the young male's femoral artery.
A day earlier, on Christmas Eve, a 46-year-old father was bitten by a shark on his ankle off Wedge Island, WA after falling off his board and "straight into" its mouth. The man, who was holidaying with his family, was left with more than 20 puncture wounds and had to race 2.5 kilometres back to shore with his injury.
with Jam Press
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