A Mexican marine biologist was critically injured after he was attacked by a shark whereas working off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast and transferred to a hospital within the nation’s capital on Monday, authorities mentioned.
Costa Rica’s Fireplace Division mentioned it had rescued 48-year-old Mauricio Hoyos from the assault Saturday and carried him on a 36-hour journey from Cocos Island, round 340 miles off the coast. Regardless of the intense accidents to his head, face and arms, Hoyos arrived on the hospital in secure situation.
“He was tagging species for monitoring and when he tagged one of many island’s shark species, the shark turned,” mentioned Luis Fernández, a doctor with the hearth division. “It was about 4 meters lengthy with an infinite chew pressure — it turned and bit him on the pinnacle.”
Hoyos was main a scientific expedition as a part of the One Ocean Worldwide Coalition, a collaborative initiative that features the organizations Fins Hooked up, For the Oceans Basis, Reserva Tortuga and the Rob Stewart Sharkwater Basis.
“Incidents like this are extraordinarily uncommon,” Alex Antoniou, government director of Fins Hooked up, mentioned on social media. “Dr. Hoyos is a rare scientist who has devoted his profession to shark conservation, and we’re deeply grateful for the assist of the Cocos Island neighborhood on this very tough time.”
Cocos Island is a Costa Rican nationwide park and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Web site in 1997. It’s famend for its nice variety of species, notably sharks.
In 2017, an American woman was killed after being mauled by a feminine tiger shark close to the island. Her dive information was additionally critically injured within the assault. Authorities on the time mentioned it was the primary assault of its form close to the nationwide park.
In line with Costa Rica’s Ministry of Setting and Vitality, there are about 14 species of sharks — together with whale sharks, hammerhead sharks and tiger sharks — inhabiting the realm, making it a preferred spot for divers.
Discover more from News Journals
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
