Newlywed who lost a leg in Maldives honeymoon shark attack speaks about ‘savage episode’ and jokes about the ‘strong start’ to his marriage

The man who was attacked by a shark on his honeymoon in the Maldives explained that he lost his leg for the first time and joked that this incident was a ‘strong start’ for his married life.

31-year-old Spanish Borja Garcia Sousa described the incident, which almost cost him his life and led to his leg being amputated, as the ‘most brutal and brutal incident’ the couple experienced.

In an emotional social media post, she said she missed returning home and “hugging and kissing” her loved ones.

‘If there’s one thing I know for sure after all this, it’s that there’s no better person to weather that storm with,’ Borja took to Instagram to pay tribute to the woman he married just before setting off for the Indian Ocean paradise on April 11.

A Spanish tourist, a semi-professional futsal player working in a hospital in Alicante, was airlifted to the hospital after a shark attack in front of his wife Ana.

They appear to have been part of a group that entered the water near a fisheries processing plant off the island of Kooddoo, which is home to a four-star boutique hotel.

He had to have his leg amputated after being admitted to the intensive care unit at ADK Hospital in Male, the densely populated capital of the Maldives.

Maldives police confirmed they launched an investigation after Borja’s wife lodged a formal complaint accusing the cruise organizers of negligence.

In an emotional social media post, she said she missed returning home and ‘hugging and kissing’ loved ones

A month after marrying her long-term girlfriend, the injured holidaymaker chose yesterday to speak her first words and share her first photo of herself since the horror incident that made headlines around the world.

Along with images from their wedding and one from his recovery in hospital with Ana, Borja said in an emotional message: ‘Who would have thought that just a month after saying these words in front of God and the most important people in our lives, life would test us so quickly?

‘We celebrated the first month of our marriage on April 28. And what can I tell you… we started strong, right?

‘On April 11, we encountered perhaps the cruelest, most brutal event of our lives. But we never stopped trusting for a moment that this would be just a stone in the road; We will find a way to move forward no matter what. And so we did.

‘Because there are moments that change you forever. Moments when you realize how fragile life is, but also the strength one can take when everything seems to be falling apart.

‘After all this, if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that there is no better person to weather that storm with.

‘I’m sure that all the hands that came together, all the messages, all the prayers that were said for me reached heaven quickly and somehow brought me back.

‘I can’t wait to return to Spain, laugh until it hurts, cry with emotion, hug tightly and kiss our loved ones as if time had stopped.

‘After everything, you realize there is nothing more valuable than coming home and feeling the love of those who never left us.’

A friend replied: ‘How I miss laughing until it hurts, crying with emotion together, and hugging you so, so tightly that we can’t wait to give you.

‘And thank you for those incredible and unforgettable moments that we will relive very soon. I love you.’

Another wrote: ‘I’m giving you a big hug and I want to give it to you in person. Stay strong, I hope you’ll be home soon. We will pray for this to happen as soon as possible.’

A family member who went to the Maldives to comfort Ana said after the attack: ‘The shark took all the flesh from her husband’s knee to his leg in one bite.’

A Spanish tourist, a semi-professional futsal player working in a hospital in Alicante, was airlifted to the hospital after a shark attack in front of his wife Ana.

Medics said Borja’s limb was amputated due to “irreparable damage” caused by ruptured major blood vessels and prolonged lack of blood flow.

Local reports at the time claimed that the Kooddoo plant had not discharged fish waste for nearly a week; One source was quoted as saying: ‘The sharks were probably experiencing increasing hunger and expectation.

‘Once the group entered, the entrance itself may have triggered a predatory response.’

The Spanish holidaymaker first visited Ga. After being taken to Atoll Hospital, he was flown to hospital in Male’ where he is believed to still be receiving treatment.

Staff at the Maldives hotel where Borja was staying with his wife, Residence Maldives on Falhumaafushi island in nearby Gaafu Alifu Atoll, described the attack as horrific.

The area where the attack took place is famous for large schools of Spinner sharks.

However, later Spanish reports identified the attacking shark as a tiger shark, one of the most dangerous species, with teeth that can cut through flesh, bones and other hard materials such as turtle shells.

They have a reputation for eating almost anything and are said to be responsible for the majority of fatal shark bite incidents.

Borja’s colleagues at Dr Balmis University General Hospital in Alicante, where he qualified as a fully-fledged gynecologist last year and continues to work, praised him as a ‘consummate professional’ following the shark attack.

One of them said: ‘Staff at the hospital and especially those who knew him are in shock.

‘Borja was always very professional, very hard-working and very polite.

‘We couldn’t believe it when we found out it was Borja. It’s very scary and unusual for something like this to happen on your honeymoon when you should be enjoying the happiest moments of your life. It’s obviously going to change your life.

‘Reports from the Maldives indicate that his condition is improving slightly and we just pray that they are true and that Borja can return to Spain as soon as possible and receive all the medical and psychological help he needs to get through this.’

A former colleague at Mutxamel Benifutsal Sports Club, where Borja played five-a-side indoor football at semi-professional level, said immediately after the incident: ‘I heard the news from a mutual friend and it was like I was struck by lightning.

‘I still feel devastated. Ana and Borja had been dating for years before getting married.

‘He’s a good footballer and he’s still on good terms with a lot of the players here, but he left around 2022 and went on to play for the third division futsal team he was still with when he went to the Maldives.

‘At this level we are talking about a semi-professional level with training sessions up to four times a week and sometimes two matches a week.

‘It is clear that this will have a life-changing effect on Borja. I hope he gets through it.’