Photo via 77 Kaoded

 

By Petch Petpailin

 

A German woman underwent surgery at a hospital in Phuket yesterday after being bitten by an unidentified fish, suspected to be a shark while swimming in the sea off Khao Lak Beach in the southern province of Phang Nga.

 

The 57 year old woman, Elke Maier, was swimming with her four family members near Khaolak Laguna Resort on November 29 when she suddenly screamed in pain. She was found with a bite wound on her right shin and was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital.

 

A hotel staff member, 29 year old Athiti Pinyo, told ThaiRath that the incident occurred at approximately 11am. He heard Maier screaming for help and quickly brought a rescue foam board, assuming the foreign tourist was drowning.

 

Athiti then noticed a bite wound approximately 20 centimetres long on Maier’s leg. He emphasised that the German woman did not venture far into the water, as she was swimming at chest depth. Maier herself was unable to identify the animal that attacked her.

 

According to a report by the Mirror, some beachgoers who witnessed the incident shouted “shark, shark” as it happened.

 

 

Thai marine scientist Thon Thamrongnawasawat commented on his Facebook account on the day of the incident, stating that the wound suggested it might have been caused by a shark. He speculated that the species involved could be either a bull shark or a blacktip reef shark.

 

Shark or great barracuda

 

Thon theorised that the shark may have mistaken Maier’s moving legs for prey and bit her only once before realising its mistake.

 

Thon noted that shark bites in Thailand occur roughly every three to five years and are rarely fatal. Furthermore, he pointed out that such incidents are not repeated in the same location, indicating that sharks do not deliberately target humans.

 

However, some Thai netizens speculated that the fish responsible might have been a great barracuda rather than a shark.

 

Representatives from the Tourist Police visited Maier at the hospital yesterday. Police later informed the news outlet Phuket Hotnews that Maier’s condition had significantly improved, and she underwent a second surgery that evening.

 

The cost of her treatment was covered by her insurance in Germany. Tourist Police also provided her with contact details for the German Consulate in Phuket in case she required further assistance.

 

Officers emphasised that they were patrolling beaches in the Khao Lak area to ensure the safety of tourists. They also urged beachgoers to exercise increased caution while swimming.

 

Source: The Thaiger

-- 2024-12-02

 

 

“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…”

Bull shark behaviour for sure.

You're going to want to make sure you don't get flesh eating bacteria in the wound. That looks nasty. 😧

That's gonna scare a lot of swimmers off.

German ?

I am surprised she did not go straight to police and asked them to arrest the shark ...

She needs to head down to the local seafood market and pick out a nice shark for dinner.

 

I hope she heals up nicely and it's just a vacation story she can tell for the rest of her life.

 

14 hours ago, Will B Good said:

“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…”

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

That's gonna scare a lot of swimmers off.

Only Germans, it seems the sharks have a taste for German blood considering the news lately. It must be a horrifying experience though, unexpectedly being bitten by something large under water.

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

That's gonna scare a lot of swimmers off.

Me For SURE M8 !!

 the fish responsible might have been a great barracuda they taste..... .....Beautiful straight off The Barbie.....

You go inside the cage, cage goes in the water, you go in the water, sharks in the water, our shark? Farwell and adieu to you, fair Spanish (I mean German) ladies 😉

The scar will make for a great story down the line…

duuh doesn't look like a mouth of a goldfish

On 12/3/2024 at 4:35 AM, Blueman1 said:

 the fish responsible might have been a great barracuda they taste..... .....Beautiful straight off The Barbie.....

 

Barrcudas dont swim that close to shore'