Shark attack horror as boy, 7, has leg shredded in idyllic bay
A seven-year-old boy has been injured in a shark attack in French Polynesia, authorities have said.
The fire department of Nuka Hiva, the largest of the Marquesas Islands, said about 10 children were playing and jumping in Taioha'e Bay when the incident happened on Friday. The boy was bitten on the arm and leg, according to local officials.
A firefighter who helped the child with serious bite wounds said: "I'm 35 years old and this is the first time I've seen this. These were long and deep wounds." He added: "It's probably related to the fish carcasses that fishermen throw in this area. There are many sharks, such as blacktips, hammerheads, and lemon sharks."
The child was taken to the island's small hospital before being airlifted to the French Polynesia hospital centre in Tahiti, which is located around 1,500km (930 miles) from Nuku Hiva. Shark attacks are rare in French Polynesia and are often linked to spearfishing, handling fish traps or feeding sharks, which is prohibited.
The waters of French Polynesia were declared a shark sanctuary in 2006 and since then, populations have remained relatively healthy. A study carried out by a team of researchers from the Paris Science et Lettres (PSL) Research University found that when sharks bite humans in the area, it is mostly due to self-defence.
The study, which reviewed over 60 years of shark bite data, found that in these cases, often triggered by harpooning, spear-gun strikes and rough handling, sharks typically inflict superficial wounds that are rarely fatal unless unfortunate circumstances, like arterial damage, occur. Last year, South African tourist Angus Kockott was bitten by a shark while freediving around the Gambier Island in French Polynesia.
The shark approached him from behind a reef and took a bite on his arm, damaging his nerves and tendons. He said: "Seeing that shark right before it bit me – that was a real 'oh s**t' moment. My first reaction was to get my knife used for cutting lines, and I just went for the shark as hard as I could.
"It was only a little knife, but I'm very glad I had it on that day. After it released my arm, I couldn't see anything except for a huge pool of blood around me, but I managed to stand up on a reef. My arm was literally squirting blood – it looked like a stripped drumstick."
Angus said he was in "immense pain" but eventually recovered after being treated, and said he didn't blame the animal. The sailing enthusiast said: "It hasn't put me off being in the ocean – I can't wait until I can go back. My assumption was it was a territory thing – you can't blame the animal."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economist
a day ago
- Economist
The War Room newsletter: How receiving aid became fatal in Gaza
New research shows it is being used for good and ill America has better technology. But will China adopt it more quickly? South African leftists dream of telling the West to get lost A guide to four special articles from our home for narrative journalism Its ruling that burning fossil fuels can be 'internationally wrongful' risks provoking a backlash American funding cuts are a catalyst for fresh thinking
Times
a day ago
- Times
Fight to save ‘most beautiful snail' from most voracious predator — us
No one knows why the Polymita snails of Cuba are so beautiful, or why their beauty is so varied. Probably, though, the array of different colours and stripes evolved as a way of avoiding predators. Which is why it is so ironic that those adornments are — today — the reason it is attracting the most voracious predator of all: us. Conservationists have warned the shells of this disappearing species are being sold to collectors, who may not even realise the snails are endangered. Now a global collaboration of scientists is looking to better understand and breed in captivity these magnificent molluscs — with the hope of preserving them. 'They are so beautiful and extraordinarily variable,' said Professor Angus Davison, from the University of Nottingham. This means that as a snail scientist he finds himself in an unusual situation. 'While all snails are interesting and beautiful to me, most snails, by and large, are not outwardly beautiful to other people.' He has been part of a team collecting samples in Cuba, with a view to mapping their DNA. He is interested in how many species there are and how they are related. It is believed that there are six, but traditional methods of counting rely heavily on intricate analysis of their genitals. The hope is that genetic data could both be more definitive, and also provide clues not contained in their penises to explain why they are like this at all. Paradoxically, said Davison, being colourful can be a way of evading predation — and this is his leading hypothesis. 'You might assume they stand out against the background. That's not necessarily true, depending on where they live.' But being very different from each other, in the way they are, could be a positive survival strategy. 'Most likely there's a bird out there that eats the snails. That bird gets a search image in its head for the most common snail — let's say it's a yellow snail. And then you get a gene change that makes a green snail. The green snail will not be eaten because the bird doesn't see them. And so the green snails will become more common. 'And then another mutation arises, which makes an orange snail. And so on.' Until, eventually, there are enough different colours that while they evade birds, they catch the eyes of tourists instead. It is illegal to collect and sell the snails, but it is hard to enforce. 'The problem is, Cuba's undergoing very great financial hardships. So there's a very great incentive for locals to collect the shells and sell them.' Davison's worry is that publicising the beauty of the snails might increase the market. His hope, though, is that educating people about them could decrease it. 'No person in the UK would buy rhino horn if offered it on a holiday. But there are people who will happily buy a shell, not even thinking about the animal or where it came from.'
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Scotsman
Revealed: The best and worst places in Scotland for food hygiene pass rates
The local authorities across Scotland with the highest pass ratings for their food hygiene inspections have been revealed, thanks to a report from online training provider High Speed Training, marking 15 years since the introduction of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Ranked 1st in Scotland, South Ayrshire has the highest pass rate of 99.00%, although this was a decrease of -0.81% from 2024. has the highest pass rate of 99.00%, although this was a decrease of -0.81% from 2024. Highland , ranked 32nd, has the lowest pass rate in the country at 77.88%, which was a slight improvement of +0.04% from the previous year. , ranked 32nd, has the lowest pass rate in the country at 77.88%, which was a slight improvement of +0.04% from the previous year. North Lanarkshire , which is now ranked 7th, had the biggest improvement in ranking, moving up 10 positions from its 2024 rank of 17th. , which is now ranked 7th, had the biggest improvement in ranking, moving up 10 positions from its 2024 rank of 17th. The biggest drop in ranking was experienced by Angus , which fell 12 places from 12th in 2024 to 24th. , which fell 12 places from 12th in 2024 to 24th. The most significant improvement in pass rate was seen in the Shetland Islands , which improved by +3.60% to achieve a pass rate of 78.31%. , which improved by +3.60% to achieve a pass rate of 78.31%. Angus also saw the biggest decrease in its pass rate, which fell by -3.94% to 91.30%. also saw the biggest decrease in its pass rate, which fell by -3.94% to 91.30%. Glasgow is ranked 27th with a pass rate of 88.47%, a decrease of -0.82% from 2024. is ranked 27th with a pass rate of 88.47%, a decrease of -0.82% from 2024. Edinburgh is ranked 26th with a pass rate of 89.68%, representing a decrease of -0.63% from the previous year. is ranked 26th with a pass rate of 89.68%, representing a decrease of -0.63% from the previous year. View the report with interactive map Infographics download The report, which analysed Food Standards Agency (FSA) data for over 240,000 food businesses across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, found that in Scotland, the average pass rating across all food establishments in 2025 was 92.2%. A similar report run in 2024 by High Speed Training calculated Scotland's average pass rating at 92.5%, showing that food hygiene standards have dipped very slightly across the country. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Food hygiene ratings across the region have been revealed The top spot in Scotland went to South Ayrshire, with an impressive pass rate of 99.00% from over 500 premises. South Ayrshire has consistently held the top spot in previous reports. The most significant improvement in pass rate was seen in the Shetland Islands, which improved by 3.60% from 2024. In terms of rankings, North Lanarkshire was the biggest climber, moving up 10 positions to 7th place. The biggest drop was experienced by Angus, which fell 12 places in the rankings. It also saw the biggest decrease in its pass rate, which fell by 3.94% from 2024. The report showed that the lowest pass rate in Scotland went to Highland, with a pass rate of 77.88%, though this was a slight improvement on its 2024 score. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Food hygiene ratings across the region have been revealed Edinburgh just edged the battle of the major cities, with a pass rate of 89.68% to Glasgow's 88.47%, placing them in 26th and 27th spot respectively. Both cities saw a small decrease in their pass rates from 2024. Of the local authorities with over 1000 premises, Fife performed the strongest, with a pass rate of 96.79%, placing them 5th in the rankings. On average, local authorities across the country saw their pass rate fall by 0.28%, and 10 out of 32 local authorities secured a pass rate of 95% or higher. The Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS), evaluates businesses on their food hygiene practices. After an EHO has reviewed the safety systems, observed food hygiene in practice and spoken with the staff, the businesses are given either: Pass - The business meets the legal standard of food hygiene, or: Improvement Required - The legal standard of food hygiene was not evident during the inspection. The business will need to improve certain areas to then qualify for a pass. As in England, it is not required by law for a business to display the rating they receive. However, the FHIS is available for customers to view online. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Food hygiene ratings across the region have been revealed Dr Richard Anderson, Head of Learning and Development at High Speed Training comments: 'Food safety and robust hygiene practices should be of paramount importance to food businesses, and to the customers who use them. 15 years have passed since the launch of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, and its place in the industry is as vital as ever. These ratings are a direct reflection of how safely and hygienically that establishment operates, and we urge businesses and customers to take them seriously. 'For businesses that perform well, a high rating is a real selling point. However, establishments with a low hygiene rating can be extremely off-putting for customers, which ultimately have a significant impact on reputation and profitability.' 'Our report shows that, on average, standards remain high across the UK, and have improved from 2024. This commitment to correct food hygiene training for staff, alongside robust food management procedures and everyday good practices are crucial to keep performing at high standards. 'We would also urge customers to check the food hygiene ratings of establishments they wish to dine at, so that an informed call as to whether you eat there can be made.' To view the report in full, and to see how your area compares to others, please visit
