Tourist's finger left hanging off after shark attack in Jamaica
Rachel Smith, 26, was on holiday with her sister when the fish bit through her left hand while swimming in Montego Bay.
Her ring finger was left hanging off as she watched 'blood pour everywhere' before being rushed to the local hospital earlier this month.
She was forced to fly to Ireland - where her parents live - for emergency treatment after doctors on the Caribbean island said the plastic surgeon was not available for two weeks.
Rachel, a pharmacologist from London, admitted: 'There was so much blood coming out I honestly thought I was going to die.
'I was in complete shock. My whole hand went numb so I thought my whole hand had been taken off.'
Doctors at Cork University Hospital in Ireland told Rachel that the tendons and nerves in her ring and little finger were ruptured as well as disconnected ligaments in the ring finger.
Despite the ordeal, with what is believed to have been a reef shark, Rachel said: 'I feel grateful to be alive and so grateful to have my hand.
'I have a long road of recovery ahead but I have a positive attitude and I believe I will get through it.'
She is hoping to regain movement in the next 18 months but has since been suffering from nightmares.
Her sister Lisa, who led Rachel out of the water and warned others to stay away, has also been 'terrified' ever since the attack on May 8.
'I honestly thought her fingers were gone - there was blood everywhere,' the 28-year-old said.
'At one point a vein burst and sprayed blood all over both of us. We were just crying and thinking she was going to die.'
She said the shark knocked both of them over with its body before taking a swipe at Lisa despite the flag on the beach indicating it was safe to swim.
She said: 'There were two young kids swimming by the rope, it's lucky it wasn't them.'
The sisters, who travel together every year, were planning to stay at the Hilton Rose hotel for two weeks.
Lisa added: 'I'm just so glad and grateful that she's alive.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
14 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Former TD Colm Keaveney banned from driving for four years
Former Labour and Fianna Fáil TD Colm Keaveney has been banned from driving for four years after refusing to provide a blood or urine sample to gardaí following a late-night incident in Boyle, Co Roscommon. Keaveney (54), of Milltown Road, Tuam, Co Galway pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen under Section 12 of the Road Traffic Act and failing to stop after a collision. Advertisement Appearing before Carrick-on-Shannon District Court on Tuesday, Judge Sandra Murphy imposed a €250 fine and a four-year disqualification from driving. Other charges, including no insurance and no licence, were struck out after he produced valid documents. The incident occurred on October 11th, 2024, when gardaí observed a Ford Focus being driven without lights through Boyle. The vehicle veered across the road and collided with a car waiting at a junction, but did not stop. When approached, Keaveney appeared intoxicated, was unsteady on his feet, had glassy eyes, and smelled of alcohol. Advertisement He was arrested and brought to Carrick-on-Shannon Garda Station, where he refused to provide a blood or urine sample to a designated doctor despite a formal demand. His solicitor said Keaveney had been under significant personal strain, including the recent deaths of both parents and ongoing chronic pain from spinal surgery. She said he had no previous criminal convictions and had asked to see his own doctor at the station, which was not possible. A long-time figure in politics, Keaveney was elected to the Dáil in 2011 as a Labour TD for Galway East. He lost the party whip in 2012 over a vote of conscience on a Government plan to cut an annual care grant as part of the 2013 budget and later joined Fianna Fáil, becoming the first sitting TD to cross directly between the two parties. He lost his Dáil seat in 2016 and later served one term on Galway County Council.
BreakingNews.ie
14 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Woman jailed for pushing man (82) into oncoming traffic as she tried to rob him
A woman who pushed an older man out in front of oncoming traffic as she was trying to rob a bags of tools from him has been jailed for 13 months. Edel Stirling (45), of Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2, came forward to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on signed pleas of guilty from the District Court. She pleaded guilty to theft, robbery and criminal damage by urinating in a cell at Mountjoy Garda Station on December 13, 2024. Advertisement The court heard that the 82-year-old man was locking up a premises where he had been working in Dublin city centre when he heard someone rummaging through a plastic bag of tools he had left at the front of the property. He came out to investigate and spotted Stirling running off with the bag. She was accompanied by what the victim described as 'an intoxicated man'. The victim followed and managed to get the tools back off Stirling but she swung out at him and tried to pull the bag back claiming that it belonged to her. A witness to the robbery described Stirling as punching the victim in the face and knocking him to the ground before she continued to punch him in the face. He said the robber also pulled the victim out in front of a taxi, causing the driver to slam on his brakes to avoid impact. Advertisement Stirling spat at the passerby who had come to the man's assistance and another person took a photograph of her. The victim was left with injuries to his nose, face and head. The gardaí were alerted. They were given a description of Stirling and they were informed what direction she had run in. She was arrested a short time later and taken in for questioning but was deemed too intoxicated for interview by a doctor called to the station. Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, said Stirling urinated in the station during the course of her time there. Counsel said she made no admissions during garda interview, when she was later deemed fit, but expressed concern for the welfare of the victim when she was shown photographs of his injuries. Advertisement Mr Collins said the man had not completed a victim impact statement. Stirling has 40 previous convictions including assault, assault causing harm and 25 bench warrants. Niall Nolan BL, defending, acknowledged that this was a 'horrific' incident for this 'poor gentleman' and accepted he had suffered injuries as a result of the attack. He said his client was a mother of two, who has a history of intoxication, addiction and homelessness but said she has detoxed since her remand in prison and is now stable. Mr Nolan said his client has engaged with various programmes in prison and the staff on those programmes describe her as 'open and respectful'. Advertisement Counsel submitted that his client had been drinking heavily that day and struggled to recall the incident. He said she was remorseful for the injuries she caused the victim. Judge Dara Hayes noted that the victim had initially got his bag back from Stirling but she continued to be abusive and insisted the bag was hers before she continued the assault. He accepted that she had expressed 'considerable concern and remorse' and was intoxicated that day. The judge further accepted that she engaged well with various programmes in prison. Ireland Former hurler Niall Gilligan found not guilty of a... Read More 'These are serious offences. Significant violence was used against a man,' Judge Hayes said before he took into account the age of the victim and the injuries he sustained from the attack. He acknowledged Stirling's co-operation, expression of remorse and her efforts to rehabilitate. Judge Hayes set a headline sentence of three years and half years for the robbery offence, with the other offences taken into account. He reduced this sentence to two years and four months before he suspended the final 15 months on strict conditions.
BreakingNews.ie
40 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (32) jailed for eight years for organising prostitution across Dublin
A man who organised prostitution across Dublin by leasing out eight properties to be used as brothels has been jailed for eight years. Stelian Ciuciu (32) posed as part of a couple with another woman, who was working as an escort, to rent properties from unsuspecting landlords, which he then advertised to escorts for their use. He laundered about €320,000 in the process, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. Advertisement Ciuciu used a WhatsApp group containing about 450 members to advertise the properties to escorts and was heavily engaged in the day-to-day upkeep of the premises, as well as regularly advising the escorts to maintain discretion and not draw attention to themselves, Detective Garda Colm Grogan of the Organised Prostitution Investigation Unit said. Ciuciu, of Brookdale Walk, Swords, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to 20 counts including enhancing the ability of a criminal organisation, organising prostitution, brothel-keeping, using false instruments and money laundering. The offences took place in various locations within the State on dates between January 2020 and November 2023. The most serious of these offences – enhancing the ability of a criminal organisation – carries a maximum sentence of 15 years, while the remaining offences carry maximum terms of between five and 14 years, the court heard. Ciuciu has no previous convictions. Advertisement Sentencing Ciuciu on Wednesday, Judge Martin Nolan said he was involved in this organised and 'pretty sophisticated' prostitution scheme and his principal role was to rent out the properties, which the prostitutes then used 'for their occupation'. Judge Nolan acknowledged that Ciuciu entered a plea late in the prosecution of the case but said this was a 'very valuable plea' as the trial would have been complicated and lengthy involving many witnesses. The judge remarked that substantial profits would have been made from the operation and acknowledged that the gardaí are doing their best to track that money but he said either Ciuciu 'or someone else' profited from the scheme. Judge Nolan set a global headline sentenced of 13 years before he considered the various mitigation in the case. Advertisement He noted that Ciuciu has no previous convictions, has family responsibilities and that his wife and three children are in 'pretty impoverished circumstances' since his remand in custody. He acknowledged that Ciuciu has done well in custody since his remand and accepted letters that were handed into the court on his behalf. Judge Nolan imposed a sentence of eight years which was backdated to when Ciuciu first went into custody last November. Ciuciu forfeited the cash which had been seized during the course of the investigation to the State. Det Gda Grogan told Mark Lynam SC, prosecuting, at a sentence hearing on Tuesday that Ciuciu's offences came to light when some landlords came forward with suspicions about what their rented properties were being used for. Gardaí noticed that similar rental documents with Ciuciu's photo but different names had been used to rent out the properties and Ciuciu was identified and followed. Gardaí followed him to a number of properties that were being used as brothels and some banks where he was lodging cash. Advertisement When gardaí entered the premises and carried out welfare checks, they found prostitution was taking place in each property, with two or more escorts working there, the court heard. A total of €320,000 was found to be going through Ciuciu's accounts. Det Gda Grogan said this money, which was mostly lodged in cash by Ciuciu, was used to pay the rent for the properties and these accounts did not contain any profits. When he was arrested in November 2023 and his home was searched, a total of €11,000 in cash was seized. When asked by Judge Nolan if gardaí had established what profits Ciuciu made from the enterprise, Det Gda Grogan said in his experience, escorts would pay up to €1,000 a week per property. Investigations are continuing into the whereabouts of the profits Ciuciu would have made, the court heard. The court heard Ciuciu provided fake documents, including fake Romanian identity documents and fake employer references to rent out the properties, which were the subject of the false instrument charges. Advertisement He and the escort who was posing as his partner provided employer references for a garage and a beauty salon. People in these businesses who were 'complicit' in the offending provided fake references when contacted, the court heard. No charges have been made in relation to these people to date. Ciuciu's accomplice, referred to in court as Ms N, has since fled the country, the court heard. Ireland Former hurler Niall Gilligan found not guilty of a... Read More In his plea of mitigation, Michael Lynn SC, defending, said Ciuciu, who has lived in Ireland for a number of years, has been in custody since his arrest. His wife and three young children have had difficulties as a result, the court heard. Ciuciu was described in court as a stateless person of Roma origin, who was born in Germany but whose family renounced that citizenship. He has been residing in Ireland legally on the basis that he has a stateless application before the authorities, defence counsel said. He is extremely concerned about his future residence as a consequence of these convictions, Mr Lynn said. Letters of apology from Ciuciu and his wife were handed into court. The court heard he has experienced racism and discrimination and struggled to find work as a result. He is doing well in custody and has engaged in educational courses.
