A 27-year-old angler was bitten to the bone by a blue shark off the coast of County Waterford, Ireland, and had to be airlifted to hospital by the Irish Coast Guard. The man, Sebastian Achim, said he thought he was going to die during the attack, which occurred on Tuesday afternoon on a small fishing vessel about four miles off Ram Head, Ardmore.
Shark Attack on Fishing Vessel
Achim, a keen angler from Dungarvan, was part of a five-strong crew when the shark was hauled on board. As they prepared to release the fish back into the sea, the shark lunged at him, biting his calf and the bone. He told The Irish Times: 'I thought, I'm not going to make it. I was trying to stay strong to not scare the other crew.'
The shark, believed to be a blue shark, measured around 4 feet 9 inches, though the species can grow to more than 9 feet. Blue sharks are common in UK and Irish waters during summer and autumn, and are not usually considered dangerous to swimmers.
Rescue and Medical Response
Ireland's Department of Transport confirmed that a man had suffered a leg injury from a suspected shark bite. The Irish Coast Guard's Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Dublin was alerted by a 999/112 call at approximately 4.15pm. Achim was winched onto a Coast Guard helicopter and airlifted to Cork University Hospital.
He credited the Coast Guard helicopter crew for their help, saying: 'It's probably the reason why I'm still okay.' The crew applied first aid, using a rope to stem the blood flow. The RNLI Ballycotton's all-weather lifeboat, The Austin Lidbury, was also launched to assist.
Previous Shark Incidents in Ireland
Shark-related injuries have occurred in Ireland before. In 2018, an angler was bitten by a blue shark while lifting it on board a vessel. Earlier this month, a Jersey beach was closed after lifeguards encountered a large animal believed to be a 12 ft shark. The incident highlights the risks anglers face when handling sharks, even those not typically aggressive towards humans.
