Shark attack in Tobago: British tourist attacked by shark at Caribbean beach is ‘conscious and…’

April 29, 2024, 9:24 am

A British tourist seriously injured after a shark attack in the southeastern Caribbean is “aware of what is happening and can communicate”.

Peter Smith, 64, from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, was rushed to hospital and admitted to an intensive care unit after the attack in Tobago on Friday morning, according to officials.

The full extent of his injuries is unclear. Tobago Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said Mr Smith’s left hand had been “severed from the elbow down” and “the left thigh (was) severed”.

He was in a “stable” condition at Scarborough General Hospital in Tobago on Sunday after undergoing surgery.

In an update from his wife on Sunday, Mrs Smith said: “As of 9am local time today, Peter is aware of what is happening and can communicate a little, although he is still on strong medication.”

She also thanked two friends who stayed in the water to “fight the shark,” as well as those who assisted at the scene.

It comes after an eyewitness reported other people in the water were “physically trying to fight the shark”.

Orion Jakerov, water sports manager at the nearby Starfish resort, told TTT live: “I don’t think they saw it. They were about waist height in the water, so they weren’t out of depth.

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“I think they had their backs turned and were just lounging around. No one saw the shark coming.”

The bull shark that attacked Mr. Smith was about 8 to 10 feet long and 21 feet wide, Augustine said.

The attack took place at Turtle Beach along Great Courland Bay.

Mr Smith had reportedly ventured into the water near the Starfish Hotel on the island.

The couple were on holiday on the island and were flying home with friends that day.

The Foreign Office said it supported the family.

Last year, there were 69 unprovoked attacks and 22 provoked bites worldwide, along with 14 fatalities, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.