Urgent warning as UK tourist ‘loses arm and leg’ in horror shark attack (2024)

The shark, reportedly a bull shark, was up to 10 feet long and two feet wide (Image: Getty)

A British tourist has been attacked by a shark just 10 metres from the shore while swimming off Tobago. The man was named by local authorities as Peter Smith, 64, of Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.

The 64-year-old holidaymaker remains in serious condition and is fighting for his life in intensive care after reportedly losing an arm and a leg in the attack, according to The Telegraph. Mr Smith had been swimming off Turtle Beach, a popular spot for international tourists near the all-inclusive Starfish resort, in Courland Bay.

The attack is understood to have happened at around 9am local time on Friday and involved a bull shark between eight and ten feet long. Witnesses said the victim was only in waist-deep water when he was attacked.

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He was quickly rushed to Tobago’s Scarborough General Hospital following the shocking attack.

Stephanie Wright, from West Sussex, told The Sun: "We saw some people on the beach, and I originally thought the gentleman had had a cardiac arrest, and I thought they were helping him. And then I saw someone running down with a towel, and then I saw a dorsal fin come out of the water and thought, 'Oh my God, it's a shark.'

"As it turned, I saw the tail come out as well. As it swam off."

Officials swiftly closed the beaches on the island’s northwest coast and banned any future reef tours and scuba-diving trips.

Trinidad and Tobago is famed for its lush, golden beaches (Image: Getty)

Farley Augustine, Chief Secretary of the Tobagonian government - a role equivalent to a prime minister - issued an urgent warning to tourists to stay out of the water in the wake of the attack.

In a message shared online, Mr Augustine wrote: “Out of an abundance of caution (for the remaining portions of today), we are forced to temporarily close beaches: Plymouth, Courland Bay, Black Rock, Mt. Irvine, Buccoo, Pigeon Point, Store Bay and all coastal areas in between. Currently, we are doing drone reconnaissance/surveillance, Coast Guard surveillance, and the Department of Fisheries is combing the area to ensure safety.”

Bull sharks are one of three shark species - along with tiger sharks and great whites - known for their attacks on humans.

Trinidad and Tobago is famed as a tourist paradise with its lush, golden beaches and tropical weather.

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