A tourist’s experience in Thailand turned scary when a shark attacked her during her swim. Elke Maier, 57, was on a vacation to Phuket when she went swimming in front of her hotel in Phang Nga, where she was mauled by a shark. The dangerous fish grabbed the woman’s leg and left her bleeding and screaming in pain. She was soon admitted to a nearby healthcare after alert tourists rescued her.
Maier was on an adventure on the Phuket beach enjoying her holiday when this happened. The beast sank its teeth into the lady’s leg in a horror attack on Friday.
Shark attack leaves tourist severely wounded
It was reported that the German woman was wounded for nearly 12 inches (with gaps), alongside shark teeth marks inscribed on her lower leg.
When she reached the shore, the 57-year-old’s lower leg was dripping blood. Those who made her hobble ashore told the media that they heard her screaming out for help.
Lifeguard rescues woman after hearing her screaming for help
“A foreign tourist raised her hand and shouted for help. I quickly ran down to the beach to help the tourist…The area where the tourist went to play in the water was not very deep, only chest deep. It seemed safe”, Lifeguard Athit Athit Pinyo told The Sun.
During the unfortunate incident, she suffered severe injuries in her left leg. She had to be operated at a local hospital near the Khao Lak beach. After preliminary medical attention and care, she was transferred for an emergency surgery in Phuket. She is also said to undergo another surgery to recover.
News reports quoted the local police and mentioned a 5-ft-long Bull Shark was behind the attack, which they aimed to capture during Maier’s treatment days itself.
Govt to boost safety measures
“Authorities have issued warnings, placed red flags on beaches, and are boosting safety measures, including lifeguard services, to protect visitors”, Thai Government said while reporting the incident online.
