A British man is in intensive care after an “unusual” shark attack on the Caribbean island of Tobago. Peter Smith, 64, from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, sustained serious injuries to his left arm, left leg and stomach on Friday morning.
Tobago House of Assembly’s chief secretary, Farley Augustine, said Smith was attacked by a bull shark while in shallow waters about 10 metres offshore at Great Courland bay, also known as Turtle beach. Smith had been on holiday with his wife and friends and was due to fly home on Friday.
Emergency services rescued Smith and took him to hospital for surgery. The beach has been closed until further notice, and all reef tours in the area have been suspended. Augustine said a TT$10,000 (£1,175) bounty was placed on the bull shark, but later retracted.
Orion Jakerov, a water sports manager at a nearby hotel who witnessed the attack, said the shark struck in waist-deep water and people tried to fight it off. “Nobody saw the shark coming,” he told local broadcaster TTT Live.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said it was supporting the man’s family and was in contact with local authorities. Shark attacks on Tobago are rare, with most regional attacks occurring farther north.
