The incident was regarded as a first for the popular snorkelling and swimming region of La Piscinita in San Andrés, where the attack took place.
A tiger shark attacked and killed a 56-year-old Italian tourist on the island of San Andrés, causing him to succumb to his injuries.
The incident, which occurred in a popular swimming and snorkelling spot on the island known as La Piscinita, is believed to be the first shark attack in the area in almost a decade.
What exactly happened?
He was swimming in the La Piscinita area when he was attacked by a tiger shark that measured eight feet in length. The tourist, identified as Antonio Roseto Degli Abruzzi, lost a substantial chunk of his right leg after being bitten by the shark.
Images of Mr Abruzzi after the incident, which surfaced on social media and were posted by local news sites, showed him lying on his back with blood oozing from his wound before he was rushed to Clarence Lynd Newball Memorial Hospital.
According to reports, Mr Abruzzi suffered from hypovolemic shock as a result of the large volume of blood that was lost during the incident.
According to reports, this is La Piscinita’s first attack, which occurred on Friday.
“There are diving programmes with professionals in which sharks pass nearby, but nothing has ever happened,” claimed a representative for the island government.
In addition, diving teacher Mirla Zambrano stated, “We are all really taken aback.” In the history of San Andres, this is the first time a shark has attacked a tourist.”
In an interview with reporters, marine researcher Rodrigo Lopez stated that “they are really concerned about what has happened, and they are not allowing anyone to get into the ocean.”
One witness stated that the victim was an excellent swimmer and had been in the water for quite some time when he swam further out into the sea for the second time after returning to shore and began to scream for help while being enveloped in blood.”
According to recordings and photographs, it appears that two tiger sharks were involved in the attack, which occurred close the area where Mr Abruzzi was attacked.
“He was on his own,” said Mauricio Valdonado, who risked his life to remove Mr Abruzzi from the water. “He was on his own,” said Mr Valdonado.
What is the location of San Andrés?
Located in the Caribbean Sea, San Andrés is a coral island that is formally a part of the Colombian territory.
It’s an archipelago of islands off the coast of Nicaragua that includes the islands of Providencia and Santa Catalina. It’s a popular tourist destination in the country. It is well-known for its white sand beaches, snorkelling, and diving opportunities.
Despite the fact that San Andrés is a part of Colombia, it has historical ties to the United Kingdom. In the 17th century, British residents from Barbados and England began arriving on the island, as well as on the neighbouring island of Providencia.
During the year 1670, the Welsh privateer Sir Henry Morgan utilised San Andrés as a base of operations for a number of his exploits.
Following a failed Spanish invasion in 1635, the islands were under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom until 1787.
What is the frequency of shark attacks?
With its headquarters at the Florida Museum of Natural History and its research centre at the University of Florida, the International Shark Attack File is the only scientifically validated database of shark attacks in the world.
According to the document, “about 70-11 shark attacks occur annually, resulting in approximately five deaths.” This is because “not all shark attacks are reported; our information from Third World nations is particularly weak, and in other regions, efforts are often made to keep attacks hidden for fear of bad publicity,” according to the document.
According to the report, there are three major types of unprovoked shark attacks: “Hit and run” is the most common type of assault and is most commonly seen in the surf zone among swimmers and surfers. The victim is usually not aware of the attack, and the shark does not return after inflicting a single bite on him or her.
“In the majority of cases, these are most likely situations of mistaken identity that occur under conditions of low water visibility and a hard physical environment (breaking surf and strong wash/current conditions),” according to the report’s conclusions.
While less prevalent, “bump and bite” and “sneak” attacks are more likely to result in severe injuries and the majority of fatalities than other attacks.
“Bump and bite” assaults are characterised by the shark initially circling and bumping the victim prior to the actual attack, according to the file. The difference between “sneak” strikes and other types of attacks is that the strike occurs without warning.
“Unlike the trend for “hit and run” attacks, recurrent assaults are not rare, and several or sustained bites are the norm in both cases. Typically, the injuries sustained during this type of attack are severe, and they commonly result in death.”
The three shark species that have been identified as the principal assailants are the white shark, the tiger shark, and the bull shark, although any large shark with a total length of approximately two metres or more poses a potential threat to humans, regardless of species.