A man has been bitten by a shark in southern Ireland. The incident occurred on board a small fishing vessel south of Ardmore, off the coast of County Waterford.
The Irish Coast Guard was notified at around 4.15pm yesterday after the man suffered a leg injury from a shark bite, according to RTE. He is now in hospital in Cork and remains under the care of the Health Service Executive (HSE), Ireland's healthcare system.
Rescue Operation
In a statement, the Irish Coast Guard said: "The Coast Guard's Waterford based helicopter, Rescue 117, was tasked to the scene, as well as the Ballycotton RNLI all weather lifeboat and the Youghal RNLI inshore lifeboat."
The man was winched on board Rescue 117 and taken to Cork University Hospital, where he was handed over to the HSE. He remains in hospital.
Shark Species in Irish Waters
According to the Irish Marine Institute, Irish waters are home to 71 species of shark, skates and rays. These range from small Sleeper sharks, Dogfish and Catsharks to larger species like Frilled, Mackerel and Cow sharks.
The world's second largest shark, the Basking shark, is also found in Irish waters.
