The search is on for a bull shark responsible for attacking a British tourist in Tobago yesterday.
The attack led to the closure of ten major beaches on the island, as panicked bathers and fishermen reported sightings of the shark following the attack. News of the incident made its way around the globe, as several US and UK publications carried articles about the shark attack.
THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine provided updates on the incident and was among the first to break the news that 64-year-old visitor Peter Smith was severely bitten on his left hand, left thigh and stomach while bathing at Courland Bay, also known as Turtle Beach.
The incident occurred around 9.15 am.
Smith, a guest at the Starfish Resort, was attacked by what is believed to be a bull shark approximately 10 meters away from the shore.
The shark, estimated to be between eight to 10 feet in length and two feet in width, caused severe injuries to Smith - severing his left hand from the elbow down, severing his left thigh, and lacerating his stomach.
Smith received critical care at the Scarborough General Hospital and by yesterday evening was listed in stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit after undergoing life-saving surgery. He was expected to be flown to Trinidad sometime last night for further medical care.
Secretary for the Division of Health, Wellness and Social Protection Dr Faith B Yisrael provided an update on Smith, saying medical staff at the hospital managed to save his limbs.
She said, “So far, it seems like all of his appendages have been saved. We will provide a comprehensive status report tomorrow (Saturday).”
Smith was scheduled to leave Tobago yesterday but decided to go for a last-minute swim before his departure.
Augustine, in a social media post, said he spoke with the British High Commissioner about the attack on the British national and the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard was closely monitoring the areas on the lookout for the shark. He also spoke with Smith’s wife and apologised for the incident and assured the THA’s complete assistance.
Soon after the incident, the Chief Secretary and the Tobago Emergency Management Agency announced the closure of Turtle Beach, advising members of the public to desist from venturing there.
Augustine took to social media again, during the day yesterday, announcing that other beaches had been closed after shark sightings were reported in these areas.
TEMA, in its post, advised that a total of ten beaches were closed, until further notice.
Beaches closed
Turtle Beach, Grafton Beach, Mount Irvine Beach, Grange Bay, Rocky Point , Buccoo Beach, Swallows Beach, No Man’s Land, Store Bay, Pigeon Point
A $10,000 bounty had literally b A $10,000 bounty was initially placed on the bull shark’s head. The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) announced the reward for registered fishermen who were able to capture the shark responsible for the attack.
In a statement, the THA said it was using the services of the T&T Coast Guard and the Department of Fisheries to assess the situation and “neutralise the threat” if possible.
But by late evening, Augustine, during a news conference on social media, announced the bounty was off. He said the decision was made to be more conscious of the animal because of public outcry. He said the focus would now be on the Coast Guard and fishermen relocating the shark. Augustine said the beaches closed yesterday would also remain closed today.
Eyewitnesses: A horror
to experience
Meanwhile, those who witnessed the shark attack on the British tourist told Guardian Media it was horrific to watch.
A beach vendor, who gave his name only as Blacks, said, “It’s sad to see what happened. I see people running to the scene. I hear a woman say ‘shark, shark’. I thought the man was catching cramps. When I reach closer I seeing blood. The shark even try to come on shore to attack the man.
“Thank God there was a doctor on site. I see the shark, it’s bigger than me. I don’t really feel scared but it’s the first time I’m hearing it happening in Tobago,” Blacks said.
Eyewitnesses claimed the shark then tried to attack a woman bathing at Grafton Bay, near Grafton Beach Hotel, just minutes away from the first attack.
Fisherman Simon Mc Dougal recalled saving a group by alerting them about the bull shark.
“I saw a big shark swimming this way along the sand going up. I run and raff out the white woman, it nearly bite she. Then the rest of people had to run quick and pull out two other people,” Mc Dougal said.
He said other people scampered to safety, with one person climbing a rock.
One fisherman at the bay, Curtis Job recalled what happened during the attack on Smith.
He explained, “We thought he was drowning or had a heart attack. When we realise they were pulling him out of the water and we see what it was and the kind of bite he has, we realise he couldn’t swim and save himself. If his colleagues weren’t with him he would have drowned.”
Job said Courland Bay fishermen are working on a plan to catch the shark.
“We going to try. We are going to put out things out in the water we know it would come for and see if we could get it out of the water, because nobody would want to bathe in the sea when they hear this,” he said.
But not everyone was perturbed by the incident. Even as the warning circulated, one man seemed unbothered as he enjoyed a swim in the same area where the shark attack happened.
Shark sightings
Throughout the day sea bathers, fishermen and others were on high alert as some recorded videos of a shark swimming near the Bucco boardwalk hours after the attack.
In another video, people onboard boats at No Man’s Land, near the Bon Accord Lagoon, were sent scampering after what looked like a shark swam closely to the group.
In a short video on social media, people were seen running off and climbing onto boats to get away from the brownish-coloured shark.
Others were heard screaming saying “look the shark.”
As this happened, one man in a fishing boat picked up what appeared to be a fishing harpoon as others shouted, urging him to kill it.
However, Guardian Media could not confirm if the shark seen in the video was the same one involved in the earlier attack or the shark spotted in Buccoo.
Two months ago, a fisherman in Blanchisseuse was attacked by a Black-tipped Reef Shark. He survived but was injured. He killed the shark during the incident.