FATAL – 22 November 2012 — Nuevo Altata, Sinaloa, Mexico – lifeguard attacked

Nuevo Altata, Sinaloa, Mexico

Lifeguard Fernando Cárdenas García, 32, died in hospital from his wounds after being attacked by a shark as he tried to free his rubber dingy which had become entangled in rope in high surf. He’d dived overboard to cut the rope when the shark bit him on the leg. The wound extended to his buttock and calf.

The incident occurred around 11.30am on November 22, 2012 off Nuevo Altata, Sinaloa, Mexico.

The lifeguard was rescued by his companions and taken to hospital, but he succumbed to his wounds.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
The Mazatlan Messenger

PIC source:
Playas de Altata

SCARED – 18 October 2012 — Kahana Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii – Stand-up Paddler Board Bitten

 

Dave Peterson of Maui shows off the bite mark from the shark attack on his SUP board

Dave Peterson, 55, had his board bitten by a shark while Stand-up Paddle Boarding off Kahana Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii. The incident happened at about 7.30 am on Thursday 18 October 2012 about 300 metres off shore.

Peterson said he was waiting for another wave when all of a sudden the shark hit his board and knocked him into the water.

He landed on the shark, hit it with his paddle, and pushed it away. He then crawled back up on his board and never saw it again.

He was quoted as saying: “I was actually mad because I thought it was a friend of mine pushing my board out from underneath me.”

Officials did not identify the shark but reckon it was about 6-8 feet long.

Peterson was not injured.

Source:
Maui Now

PIC Source:
Maui Now

INJURED – 10 October 2012 — Forcados River, Delta State, Nigeria – bather bitten

Torugbene-Ere Aboh, 38, was bitten on the leg by a shark while bathing in the Forcados River in Oboro Community, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria.

Details are a bit sketchy, but she is quoted as saying: “Shortly after I started bathing, I felt a sharp cut on my right leg and I screamed for help. The screaming drew the attention of my brethren who were also in the river and they came to my rescue.

“I was immediately taken to a nearby patent medicine shop, where I was given 12 stitches before I was later taken by my husband,  to a private clinic at Bomadi, for proper medical treatment.”

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Vanguard

INJURED — 27 October 2012 – Makena Landing Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii — swimmer bitten

A shark attacked a 51-year-old woman from California about 20 metres off Makena Landing Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii. The incident happened on Saturday 27 October 2012. The woman was not named in press reports.

According to a report in Maui News the shark was estimated to be between 10 and 12 feet long, but the species was unknown.

The woman suffered non life-threatening injuries, including puncture wounds to her right inner thigh and lacerations to the front and back of her right hand from pushing the shark away.

The newspaper reported she was transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center in stable condition.

Sources:
Maui News

 

INJURED — 28 August 2012 — Red Bluff Point, near Quobba Station, Western Australia — surfer attacked

Jon Hines, 34, was attacked repeatedly by a shark while surfing at Red Bluff Point near Quobba Station in Western Australia. He fought off the shark but suffered serious wounds to his abdomen and right arm. The attack happened around 3.25pm on Tuesday 28 August 2012.

He was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital and was reported in a stable condition following surgery.

Witnesses told the press he fought off the attack after the initial bite to his abdomen and suffered serious wounds to his right arm in the process.

“There was a big swell . . . plenty of my mates were around there, they said it was pretty brutal,” one of the witnesses said.

“A couple of them helped drag him in . . . they heard him screaming for help and they thought he just hurt himself badly in a wipe-out.

“From what I hear he had to fight it off and it came back and had another go and that’s when it got him on the arm.

One of the surfers helped Hines get to shore.

“He just told the guy to hang on to his leg rope and he just paddled him straight in,

“He did a really good job . . . he is legend of the ocean, he just did what he had to do and he did it well.

“He saved his life I guess, all the people out there – all the girls and boys out there – helped save him.”

It was not reported what type of shark it was although it was reported that tiger sharks are known to frequent the area.

Another witness said the water was full of blood.

“He was conscious the whole way back though, he was OK. He was in good spirits, as well as he could be.”

Sources
Perth Now

FATAL – 23 July 2012 – Trois-Bassins, Reunion island – surfer attacked

Trois-Bassins surf spot on Reunion – the scene of a fatal shark attack on a surfer on Monday 23 July 2012.

Reports with few details say Alexandre Rassica, 22, a resident of La Reunion, died from his wounds after a shark bit through his leg while he was surfing at popular surf spot Trois-Bassins, on Reunion island.

According to media other surfers managed to bring him to shore but were unable to resuscitate him after he suffered a cardiac arrest.

He was surfing 100 metres offshore when the attack took place on Monday morning 23 July 2012.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Reuters
Transworld Surf

PIC source:
Magic Seaweed

FATAL – 14 July 2012 — Wedge Island, north of Lancelin, Western Australia – surfer attacked

“By the time I got out there half of him had been taken and the shark was circling.”

Ben Linden was killed by a shark while surfing off Wedge Island in Western Australia

Ben Linden, 24, died from his wounds after being attacked by a shark while surfing about 4 km south of Wedge Island, north of Lancelin, Western Australia. The incident happened around 9am on 14 July 2012.

Linden was reportedly with a friend when the attack happened. The attack is believed to be by a great white shark.

A Fisheries Department spokesperson was quoted as saying:

“The two people were in the water surfing or waiting for a wave when the victim was attacked by a shark.”

He said two other surfers, one on a jet ski and the other being towed came over to help when they saw a commotion in the water.

He said the man’s friend and the others surfers were not in a position to help and went back to shore and contacted the police.

He said Linden’s body was not recovered.

The guy on the jetski was quoted as saying:

“I was towing my mate on the back of the jetski and in front of us I just saw a guy get attacked by a shark and I just took my mate straight to the shore and went straight out and there was just blood everywhere and a massive, massive white shark circling the body.

“By the time I got out there half of him had been taken and the shark was circling.

“I tried to lean off the side and pull him on the back, but as I did that, the shark came back and nudged the jet ski to try to knock me off.

“When I came back the second time, he took the rest of him. I just thought about his family and if he had kids. I just wanted to get him to shore. I gave it everything I had.”

Sources:
Illawarra Mercury
Daily Telegraph

PIC Source:
Daily Telegraph

INJURED – 5 July 2012 – Jongensfontein, Western Cape, South Africa – surfer attacked

“I couldn’t see the shark directly but I could see its fins thrashing in the water. Its mouth was latched onto the surfboard. I could see some blood sprays but couldn’t tell how badly he was injured.”

A Facebook pic of Jacques Mostert who suffered serious wounds to his leg from a shark attack at Jongensfontein, South Africa

Jacques Mostert, 29, suffered serious bite wounds to his leg when a 4.5 metre shark attacked him while he was surfing at Jongensfontein near Still Bay, Western Cape, South Africa.

Speaking from his hospital bed, he is quoted as saying:

“I was about to get out of the water, only about 15m into the surf, when I saw something swimming past me.

“At first I thought it was a dolphin, but then I realised I was in trouble.

“Then I just felt a hard hit on my side.

“It was as if a crazy dog had bitten into me because it started shaking my leg in the same way.

The shark let go and went under water.

“I managed to get a look at it and saw it was massive.

“I was really scared. I’m very religious, so I believe a calmness came over me and I decided to stop panicking about something I couldn’t change.

“This was when a large wave came and I was able to paddle myself back to shore.

“The shark bit through the ligaments and nerves in the top part of my leg and my knee, so I can’t move my foot. I don’t know how to thank everyone that helped me.”

Mostert’s friends helped him from water

A National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson said Mostert was found on the beach suffering from two serious cuts to his left upper leg and knee. He had lost a large amount of blood, but remained conscious.

He was treated at the scene and then admitted to the intensive care unit of Mossel Bay’s Bayview Hospital where he as reported in a serious but stable condition.

Another surfer who was about 5 metres from Mostert at the time of the attack is quoted as saying:

“We were about 20 to 30m from the shore… I heard screams coming from behind me and… I thought: shark attack.

“I couldn’t see the shark directly but I could see its fins thrashing in the water. Its mouth was latched onto the surfboard. I could see some blood sprays but couldn’t tell how badly he was injured.”

He said the shark then released the board and Mostert, bleeding badly tried to make his way back to the beach on what remained of his board. He said muscle tissue was clearly visible in the deep gash on his thigh.

“He was losing blood fast and something needed to be done or he would’ve died on the beach.”

He and Mostert’s friends used two belts and a torn waterproof vest as a tourniquet, and called for help.

“He was still losing a lot of blood and we wanted to get him to a hospital immediately. We tried to move him on to my board and carry him to my bakkie [pick up truck] but, as soon as we tried to lift him, the blood started gushing out.”

The NSRI arrived 15 minutes later and stabilised Mostert who was then taken by ambulance to hospital.

The species of shark was not confirmed.

Sources:
IOL
The Telegraph

PIC Source:
IOL

INJURED – 29 May 2012 – Boca de la Leña, La Unión, Mexico – diver bitten

Benigno Medina Navarrete recovers in hospital after losing his left hand from a shark bite.

Benigno Medina Navarrete,  46, lost his left hand when a shark bit him while he was fishing. He nearly lost his entire left forearm in the attack while was diving with his friend off Boca de la Leña in La Unión, Mexico. It is not clear if he was spearfishing. Some reports say he was fishing, some say he was diving.

His friend helped him ashore, placed a tourniquet on his arm and then took him to Hospital General de Lázaro Cárdenas where he underwent emergency surgery.

He told media he is thankful his friend got him to hospital quicky which saved his life.

He said: “I felt a sharp pain, but I held strong … and I asked God, ‘Help me … I still want see my children and my family.’”

The incident happened around 9am on 29 May 2012.

Some reports say it was a bull shark about 3 metres long.

Sources:

El Sol De Zamora
Diario ABC
Despertar de la Costa

PIC Source:
Diario ABC

INJURED – 16 May 2012 – Matacucu Reef near Taveuni, Fiji – spearfisherman attacked

Tevita Naborisi, 20, was bitten on the right side of his head by an unidentified shark while spearfishing with a group at Matacucu Reef near Taveuni, Fiji.

The incident took place on May 16, 2012.

His cousin who was in the spearfishing group said Naborisi strayed from the rest of the group before the shark bit him.

“He had speared a donu when the shark attacked him from his right side,” his cousin is quoted as saying.

“The shark bit his head but he managed to fend the shark away.

“The shark had bitten into the right side of Tevita’s temple in the first attack. The shark came around a second time but Tevita managed to push the shark away.”

Naborisi swam 50 metres to the nearest man in the group who then called the boat which was another 50 metres away.

According to the report Naborisi was recovering at Waiyevo Hospital in Taveuni.

Sources:
Fiji Times