The victim, reportedly a woman, was snorkelling in the water around Cornwall when the attack happened. Authorities said they are believed to have suffered a leg injury from a suspected shark bite. The incident happened last Thursday off the coast near Penzance. Shark attacks are incredibly rare in the UK. A victim was last injured by one in British waters in 2017, when a hound bit a surfer’s finger off South Devon. Only a handful of other shark attacks are believed to have taken place in the UK since the 1800s, according to a database. In Cornwall, many species visit the surrounding waters each year, including blue sharks, porbeagle sharks and basking sharks. HM Coastguard said it sent the Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team to meet a snorkeler who had a suspected shark bite towards the end of last month. It was reported shortly before 12:30 p.m. on July 28. The spokesman said: “The swimmer is believed to have suffered a leg injury.” They added: “The coastguard team met the casualty in Penzance harbor to help hand him over to the care of the ambulance service.” Local media reported that the victim was a woman. He was on a snorkelling trip to see blue sharks – which visit the UK in the summer months – when he was attacked, according to the Falmouth Packet. Blue shark attacks on humans are extremely rare, but several fatal cases have been reported around the world. The Shark Trust charity says there are only a few types of shark that could be dangerous to humans and claims none have ever been reported in British waters. Additional reports from agencies
