Shark knocks man off his hydrofoil surfboard and savages him in the water in rare attack off Spanish holiday island
The horrifying incident happened two miles west of Fuerteventura, where sharks have been spotted on several occasions
The man was practising the relatively new sport of Downwind foiling, which involves a hydrofoil surfboard that hovers a few feet above the water.
Spanish TV channel Antena 3 reports that the man was in the water when the shark attacked his board and bit him on the leg.
The media outlet published a video showing two bloody gashes just below the knee. The wounds were described as 'deep' and gave rise to panic.
No details were given about how the man fought off the shark, but he was able to get back to the shore in the area of Los Molinos, a small hamlet nestled between cliffs on the west coast of Fuerteventura, popular with tourists and locals.
Sharks have been spotted before off Fuerteventura, and beaches have had to be closed when jet ski patrols raised the alert over the sea creatures near the shore.
Last September, a 30-year-old woman died from her injuries after her leg was ripped off by a shark in the middle of the ocean as she was on a catamaran off the coast of Western Sahara.
The woman, who was said to be a crew member aboard the British-flagged catamaran, died after going for a dip in the sea.
She was rushed to a hospital by Spanish Air Force helicopter following the attack, which took place 278 miles south-west of Gran Canaria's airport.
However, the woman was pronounced dead after being evacuated to nearby Doctor Negrin Hospital, located in the Gran Canarian capital of Las Palmas.
Since records began, there have been only seven recorded instances of shark attacks on humans in the Canary Islands.
None of them have been fatal.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘Firm steps forward': Irene Paredes praises Spain progress before Euros final
Irene Paredes feels Spain have broken down barriers for women in their society since lifting the World Cup two years ago but the Euro 2025 finalists still have work to do. Spain have reached their first women's European final and are hoping to inspire more change at home, with 3.3 million viewers watching their semi-final victory over Germany. Before 2023's World Cup final victory over Sunday's opponents, England, Paredes had said: 'Many of us have grown up thinking that playing football was not our place. At that time, that's how I felt. Since then, firm steps have been taken forward. That way of thinking is disappearing from society. 'We have to keep opening doors and normalising situations. At that time, after the press conference, with the victory, many walls were torn down. There is still work to be done, but we are on the right track.' In the aftermath of the final in Sydney, Spain's triumph was soured when the Spanish Football Federation's Luis Rubiales kissed the Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent. Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault in February and the conviction upheld in June. Spain's head coach, Montse Tomé, said she was glad to now be discussing football matters rather than the Rubiales furore. 'We are a team, they are players that have been fighting, working, with energy and now they are able to focus energy on football,' she said. 'I can sit here and answer questions about football – this has changed. This means a lot to me. It shows the change we are getting. Right now, for all the effort I think the squad deserves [to be] winning. In the elite football world it's not always the case [that you win] but we'll do everything to try, tomorrow.' They beat England in a Nations League fixture in Barcelona in June, although they did lose 1-0 at Wembley in February. Tomé has drawn lessons from those matches. 'I expect a balanced game against a team that is good in attack, they have a very powerful attacking line, in midfield they also have a high level and they're very capable in defence. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion 'For these reasons, we have to [apply] pressure. From the Wembley [game], I felt we deserved more, we had the ball, we had moments. From the game in Barcelona, the first half was quite balanced, but then we overcame them because we put lots of pressure on to England,' she said. 'But England are very competitive – they showed during the tournament sometimes, even if they don't play very well, they end up winning. We know it will be hard.' Tomé, who has been in charge of the national side since September 2023 and is overseeing her first major tournament as the head coach, confirmed she has a full squad of 23 players available for the final at St Jakob Park.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Brits warned as popular party island gets hit by drug 'epidemic' - with tourist having seizures and getting in car accidents
British tourists have been warned against taking laughing gas in Ibiza as a drug 'epidemic' sweeps the island. Brits have suffered seizures after taking the drug, also known as a 'hippy crack', in the popular Spanish party island, while dangerous car accidents from reckless high drivers have been reported by locals. The Class C drug, which can be fatal by depriving the brain of oxygen, is freely taken on the San Antonio party strip, where Brits are viewed as easy targets by dealers. Also known as nitrous oxide, the gas is usually sold in small canisters which deliver a dose to fill a single balloon. However, dealers in Ibiza are carrying canisters that can pump out up to 80 hits, at a going rate of €5 a balloon. They often flock from bar to bar persuading party-goers to buy them. The drug is prevalent across San Antonio, with groups of revellers lining the strip, sucking balloons, before leaving them littered all over the streets. And shockingly British tourists have reportedly been left foaming at the mouth and permanently scarred after inhaling it. Meanwhile, locals claim to have seen a sharp rise in the drug's usage and even report witnessing drivers taking it behind the wheel. One bartender described the use of nitrous oxide as an 'epidemic'. While Katie Mae, a bartender at Irish pub Shenanigans on San Antonio's main strip, told The Sun: 'I've seen young lads having seizures on the street and foaming at the mouths, but their friends are high so do nothing to help. 'One girl I saw inhaled gas straight from the canister, and it froze one side of her face. 'It was all cut up and she would have been scarred for life.' Another British bar worker admitted to selling laughing gas before she stopped when one of her customers almost died. She said she was 'freaking out' when a young man smacked his head on the road during a high. Selling 'hippy crack' for recreational use is illegal in Spain but it doesn't appear to prevent its widespread appeal in parts of Ibiza. San Antonio Town Council said they are currently incorporating ten new police officers to increase their staff numbers to 69 to 'ensure a more effective service tailored to the municipality's current needs'. Possession of laughing gas with the intent of getting high was made illegal in the UK in November 2023, with repeat offenders now facing up to two years in jail. Dealers who peddle nitrous oxide can face up to 14 years behind bars after the substance was designated a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Consequences of possession where a person intends to wrongfully inhale the gas for a psychoactive effect can include a fine, or prison for repeat serious offenders
The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
French authorities investigate claims Jewish passengers were removed from flight due to religion
French authorities are investigating whether a group of young French citizens were removed from a Vueling flight from Valencia, Spain, to Paris this week due to their Jewish faith. The airline has vehemently denied these claims. Several dozen French passengers were reportedly removed from the Wednesday flight, with both Spanish police and Vueling asserting the action was taken due to unruly behaviour. France's ministry for Europe and foreign affairs said in a statement on Saturday that the minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, contacted the CEO of Vueling, Carolina Martinoli, to express his deep concern 'about the removal of a group of young French Jews from one of the company's flights.' Barrot also requested more information to 'determine whether these individuals had been discriminated against on the basis of their religion.' A similar request has been made to the Spanish ambassador to France. 'Ms. Martinoli assured Mr. Barrot that a thorough internal investigation was underway and that its findings would be shared with the French and Spanish authorities,' the ministry said. Vueling previously denied reports that the incident, which involved the removal of 44 minors and eight adults from flight V8166, was related to the passengers' religion. Some Israeli news outlets reported that the students were Jewish and that their removal was religiously motivated, a claim that was repeated by an Israeli minister online. Spain 's Civil Guard said the minors and adults were French nationals. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved were not aware of the group's religious affiliation. A Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the captain of the plane ordered the removal of the minors from the plane at Valencia's Manises Airport after they repeatedly ignored the crew's instructions. On Thursday, the Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain expressed concern about the incident. The group said that Vueling needed to provide documentary evidence of what happened on the plane.
