Horrified witness who saw Brit, 64, mauled by shark in Caribbean reveals tourists tried to fight off 10ft beast in water
A HORRIFIED onlooker who witnessed the shark attack on the 64-year-old Brit in the Caribbean has revealed a shocking detail.
Peter Smith from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, was mauled by a deadly bull shark near the Starfish Hotel in Courland Bay on the north coast of Tobago on Friday morning.
He was lounging around in waist-deep water near his hotel in the Caribbean when the deadly shark savaged him.
The Brit tourist suffered extensive damage to his left arm and leg, puncture wounds to the abdomen and injuries to his right hand.
Doctors are still evaluating the full extent of the horrific injuries he sustained after the shark attack, it is understood.
He was, however, in a “stable” condition in Scarborough General Hospital in Tobago on Sunday after undergoing surgery.
One horrified witness who saw the shocking attack on the Brit revealed a shocking new detail about the “freak accident”.
Orion Jakerov, water sports manager at the hotel, said tourists taking a dip in the water did not see the 10ft beast coming towards them.
He revealed that some tourists even tried to tackle it with their bare hands and fight off the deadly beast as it attacked Peter.
He said: “I don’t think [tourists] saw [the shark coming].
“They were in about waist-deep to shoulder-high water, so they weren’t out of their depth.
“I think their backs were turned and they were just lounging around and nobody saw the shark coming.
“Even while the shark was doing the attack, the other people in the water were physically trying to fight off the shark.”
Another witness Stephanie Wright, from West Sussex, said that people nearby tried to chase off the predator after the horror incident.
She described: “We saw some people on the beach, and I originally thought the gentleman had had a cardiac arrest, and I thought they were helping him.
“And then I saw someone running down with a towel, and then I saw a dorsal fin come out of the water and thought, ‘Oh my God, it’s a shark.’
“As it turned, I saw the tail come out as well, as it swam off.”
Peter, along with his wife Jo and friends, had been holidaying on the island – and were due to fly back home that same day.
He ventured into the water – just 10 metres from the shore – for his last swim of the trip when he was mauled by the shark.
Soon after the attack that left him with horrific injuries, the Brit tourist underwent life-saving surgery at the Scarborough General Hospital.
It was revealed on Friday evening that Peter’s fingers had been “re-attached” but “extensive work” was still needed on one of his legs.
Tobago’s chief secretary Farley Augustine said the tourist was “doing well” and was being kept under sedation in the intensive care unit.
Mr Augustine explained: “Some re-attachments were done, of fingers for example, and hopefully that will save those fingers.
“We know that there are significant wounds on one of his legs that cannot be completely closed, but he will require extensive work.
“The task at this time for our health professionals is really to stabilise and ensure that we can save life and limb as much as possible.”
Peter’s wife Jo has now revealed that he is awake and is able to communicate with the doctors around.
In a statement through the BBC, she said: “As of 9am local time today, Peter is aware of what is happening and is able to communicate a little, although he is still under strong medication.”
She thanked “two friends” who remained in the water during the attack to “battle” the shark, estimated to be 8ft to 10ft long and 2ft wide.
The Foreign Office said it was supporting the family.
What makes bull sharks so dangerous?
BULL sharks are the most dangerous sharks in the world, according to experts.
The shark, also known as the Zambezi shark in Africa and the Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species found across the world in warm, shallow ocean waters.
Bull sharks have also been known to swim up into freshwater rivers.
They are dangerous because they are aggressive and because they tend to hunt in waters where people often swim, both during the day and at night.
Humans are not the shark’s preferred prey – their diet consists mainly of fish – but they will eat almost anything, including dolphins, sea turtles, and even other sharks.
BULL SHARK KEY INFO
- Scientific name: Carcharhinus leucas
- Type: Fish
- Diet: Carnivore
- Average lifespan in the wild: 16 years
- Size: Seven to 11.5ft
- Weight: 200 to 500lbs
HORROR ATTACKS
The brutal attack off Tobago followed another incident where a teenage boy was mauled by a great white shark while fishing.
The teen was bitten on the leg off a beach in South Australia – and subsequently rushed to hospital – having reeled the beast in from a small fishing boat.
Last Saturday, another man was rushed to hospital in Australia after falling victim to a shark attack.
The beachgoer was bitten at the Bombie Surfing Spot near Exmouth in Western Australia at about midday.
Cops said paramedics only learned of the horror attack when the man turned up at a hospital for treatment.
He was immediately admitted and later declared to be in stable condition.
A local surfer said he was “shocked” to hear what had happened but it was “all part of the game” of surfing, the West Australian reported.
Other beachgoers and surfers were advised to take additional caution and adhere to beach closures.
