A snorkeler was bitten by a tiger shark in Brazil on Monday.
Marcio de Castro Palma da Silva was diving the protected marine reserve off Brazil’s northeastern coast of Fernando de Noronha at a beach called Baia do Sueste when he was bitten.
The tiger shark severed the 32-year-old’s right arm near the elbow.
Mr. Silva’s wife began crying for help in Portuguese.
Barney Lankester-Owen heard her cries and rushed into the water.
“I swam out as fast as I could to him and saw just how bad he was when I got to him. It was just like out of a Jaws movie.
‘His bone was poking out and his muscle tissue was exposed and there was lots of blood.
‘I clicked into a different mode then. I saw that side of that arm was missing and in my head I was rationalising and I found myself asking him if he wanted me to swim around and look for the other part so he’d have a chance of getting it sewn back on.
‘He said “no” and told me he just wanted me to help him ashore. His wife was in massive shock and wasn’t in a position to help.
‘I got him out of the water as quickly as I could and as we headed to shore he told me it was a massive shark.” he told Daily Mail
The two walked around 500 yards from the secluded beach for help.
Mr. Silva was taken to St. Luke Hospital and in critical condition.
He survived the incident and released the following statement:
‘I’d like to thank the people who helped me including the British tourist Barney. All those people are the reason why I’m here today doing as well as I am in the circumstances and have a second chance in life.’
This is the first reported shark bite in the marine reserve.
You can watch an interview in Portuguese with Mr. Silva here.
The approximate location has been marked on the 2015 shark attack bites tracking map .
So sad…Wonder if he instigate the shark as there have not been shark interaction at locatin in many year.