Horror as boy, 11, mauled by shark at crowded beach – ‘all I could see was blood’ | World | News
An 11-year-old boy was hospitalized after being bitten by a shark while at the beach with friends. The boy’s uncle confirmed that his left leg was amputated after he was hospitalized and underwent surgery on May 31.
The boy had gone to Piedade Beach in Jaboatao dos Guararapes, near Recife, Brazil, when the tragic incident occurred. His uncle told a local newspaper how “all he could see was blood” and how his conscious nephew “begged” him “not to let him die” and ran into the ocean. Aldemir Jose, in tears, said that he went to the beach after work yesterday morning with his 3 children, including his nephew and daughter.
He said: “We were all at sea before the attack and I had just gotten out of the water and left the children in the sea.
“Then I heard a strange sound and when I turned around, all I saw was blood. Without thinking, I ran into the water to save my nephew.
“He was conscious and kept begging me not to let him die.”
A nurse tended to the injured child until the first emergency room arrived. The shark is believed to have bitten the boy on his hip and left hand just after 1.30pm local time yesterday, while his uncle later confirmed the tragic news that his left leg had been amputated.
In the images taken from the scene, it is seen that beachgoers surrounded the children after the horror incident.
Fire officials said the injury occurred in an area covered by a state ordinance warning of the risk of shark attacks.
Although Piedade Beach is open to swimmers, there are signs on the beach warning local people and holidaymakers. The sign reads: “Danger – Shark Zone.”
Danise Alves, general secretary of the State Shark Incident Monitoring Committee (CEMIT), said: “The swimming ban in Jaboatao extends from the BarraMares Hotel to the Piedade Church.
“Where the child was attacked, the sign provides information that the area is vulnerable to attack and provides information on when to avoid swimming.”
Piedade Beach is considered a shark attack hotspot in Brazil, with dozens of incidents recorded over the past three decades.
Yesterday’s shark attack was the third so far this year in northeastern Brazil’s Pernambuco state, which includes Piedade Beach.
In the past 34 years, the state has recorded 83 shark attacks, resulting in 27 deaths.
