Shark Attacks Tourist At Beach

German tourist, Elke Maier, 57, was attacked by a shark at a popular beach in Thailand’s Phang Nga province.
Maier was attacked on her left leg while she was swimming near her hotel at Khao Lak beach on Friday.

She was rushed to a local hospital emergency services before being transferred to a larger facility in Phuket for surgery after her scream alerted other tourists, according to Mail Online on Monday.

She remained hospitalised, recovering from the initial operation, with a second procedure scheduled for today, according to local media.

Authorities have identified the attacker as a five-foot-long bull shark.

Police and conservationists who visited Maier in the hospital, pledged to capture the shark.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Ekkachai Siri said, “The victim’s condition has greatly improved, and she will have surgery again this evening if she continues to recover well.

“The tourist has travel insurance and we have provided documentation to support her. The German Embassy will also assist.

“Officers are searching for the shark so it can be caught and relocated.”

Marine ecosystem expert, Thon Thamrongnawasawat, who has extensively studied sharks in Thai waters, confirmed that the attack on German tourist Maier was caused by a Bull shark.

Thon said, “The shark may have swum along the seabed and noticed moving legs, mistaking them for prey. There was only one bite without further wrestling, biting, or eating of the flesh. This suggests the shark realized the tourist was not its natural prey and released her. This behaviour indicates it did not intend to hunt a human but rather acted out of misunderstanding.”

According to eyewitnesses the shark, estimated to be around 5 feet long, swam away into deeper waters after the attack.

Elke suffered a severe wound with puncture marks from the shark’s teeth, measuring approximately six inches (15 cm) wide and 12 inches (30 cm) long. The bite penetrated her skin and muscles, requiring immediate medical attention.

Germany marks 1989 Berlin Wall fall with ‘Preserve Freedom’ party
Police and local officials revealed that locals had reported shark sightings in the days prior, with one shark already caught, though its species had not been identified.

Fellow holidaymakers, Friedrich Bach, also from Germany, described the scene, saying, “The sea conditions were calm, but then there was panic. I could hear shouting and people helping a woman. I heard people yelling ‘shark, shark.’ I’m afraid to go back into the sea.”

Lifeguard Athit Pinyo, from a beachfront resort, confirmed that tourists had raised the alarm after witnessing the attack.
Pinyo said, “A foreign tourist raised her hand and shouted for help. I quickly ran down to the beach to help the tourist.

“I took a board device into the water to help. There was a deep wound on her left leg that had teeth marks and it looked like a shark had bitten her.
The area where the tourist went to play in the water was not very deep, only chest deep. It seemed safe.”

Local tourism chiefs are seen in the video patrolling the beach where the shark attack happened to protect the image of the area.

The President of the Tourism Business Association of Phang Nga province, Lertsak Ponklin, said warnings had been sent to local hotels, watersports operators and surfing schools.

Ponklin stated, “The next measure is to prevent Phang Nga province from becoming a rich feeding ground for sharks. If this was a shark attack, we must study and learn which areas they swim. We must take precautionary measures to prevent tourists from swimming there.

“We must make tourists understand the situation. In addition, we must urgently push for Phang Nga Province to have an increased number of lifeguards to protect tourists on beaches.”

Phang Nga, located on Thailand’s west coast along the Andaman Sea and extending into the Bay of Bengal, is home to a variety of shark species.

These include Reef Sharks, Tiger Sharks, Bull Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, and even Hammerhead Sharks, all of which have the potential to attack humans., Mail Online reports.