HM Coastguard has since confirmed that a rescue team was dispatched to provide assistance following the suspected shark attack. “HM Coastguard dispatched the Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team to meet a snorkeler who suffered a suspected shark bite,” a statement from a Maritime Coastguard Service spokesman said. “The Coast Guard was alerted shortly before 12:30pm on Thursday (July 28). The swimmer is believed to have suffered a leg injury. “The coastguard team met the casualty in Penzance harbor to help hand him over to the care of the ambulance service.” Reports suggest the woman may have been on a blue shark snorkeling tour when the incident occurred. However, no further details have been released on the current condition of the speargun or the type of shark that may be involved. While the US has the highest annual number of documented shark bites in the world, with a total of 47 reported in 2021, the presence of sharks in British waters is very rare. In fact, there have been no unprovoked shark bites here for 175 years, according to British charity The Shark Trust.
