Tourist dies after shark bit her leg off in front of five-year-old daughter
The woman was swimming off the coast of a popular beach resort.
A tourist has died in Mexico after her leg was bitten off in a suspected shark attack as she swam near a popular beach with her five-year-old child.
A graphic video appears to show the victim lying on the sand after being helped out of the water at Melaque, on the country’s Pacific coast.
Onlookers could be heard shouting: ‘She’s lost her leg’ as they waited for emergency responders to arrive.
Despite the quick response by rescuers, she died of blood loss from the massive bite wound.
The dead woman has been identified locally as a 26-year-old tourist called Maria Fernandez Martinez Jimenez.
Her daughter escaped injury despite being beside her in the water, around 450 miles north-west of Acapulco.
Local reports said she helped the child to safety by placing her on a floating play platform after becoming aware she was in danger.
The attack on Saturday morning is said to have occurred just 65 feet from the shoreline as a swimming race was taking place.
The race was subsequently suspended.
Local authorities issued a warning to locals and visitors yesterday to stay out of the water following the tragedy.
Well-wishers later left flowers for the victim at the spot where she died on the beach.
Civil Protection workers and firefighters in the municipality of Cihuatlan, which includes Melaque Beach, said in a message after the incident: ‘Our officials were carrying out support activities during a swimming event in the bay when they received reports of a person who was having problems getting out of the sea.
‘When they reached the area they discovered a woman who was lifeless with one of her legs amputated, apparently following a shark attack.’
Cihuatlan’s municipal government said in a subsequent message, after publishing a pixellated still picture of the footage appearing to show the aftermath of the attack: ‘Following the terrible incident off one of our beaches, our priority is guaranteeing the safety and wellbeing of all our citizens.
‘That’s why we’ve decided on a precautionary measure of banning access to beaches until further notice.’
The dead woman is believed to be a former marine biology student at the University of Guadalajara.
In a Facebook tribute, university chiefs said they shared the pain of the victim’s friends and family, adding: ‘We express our condolences following this irreparable loss.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.