A TOURIST was injured in a bloody shark attack in front of horrified beachgoers in Thailand.
Elke Maier (57) from Germany screamed in pain when the beast sank its teeth into her leg while she was swimming in front of her hotel in Phang Nga.
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A shark injured a tourist on a beach in ThailandCredit: ViralPress
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The 57-year-old was rushed to hospital after the horrific attack on FridayCredit: ViralPress
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The German passenger (pictured) is due to have another operation todayCredit: ViralPress
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Police say a bull shark is behind the attack Credit: Getty
Shocked tourists helped her limp to shore as blood flowed onto the sand from a 12-inch gash on her lower leg.
Fellow German tourist Friedrich Bach said: “Sea conditions were calm, but then there was panic.
“I heard shouting and people helping the woman. I heard people shouting ‘shark, shark’. I’m afraid to go back to the sea.”
Lifeguard Athit Athit Pinyo, 29, from a hotel resort on the coast, said tourists raised the alarm after Elke was attacked on Friday.
Read more about shark attacks
He said: “The foreign tourist raised her hand and shouted for help. I quickly ran down to the beach to help the tourist.
“I took a board into the water to help.
“She had a deep wound on her left leg with teeth marks and it looked like she had been bitten by a shark.
“The area where the tourist went to play in the water was not deep, only chest deep. It seemed safe.”
Elke was rushed from Khao Lak Beach to a local hospital before being transferred to a larger facility in Phuket for emergency surgery.
She has been recovering there since Friday, and today she will undergo another operation.
The terrifying moment a bloodthirsty shark tries to bite off a diver’s head
Police and conservationists also confirmed today that a shark, believed to be around 5 feet long, was behind the attack.
They promised to catch the beast when they visited the German in the hospital.
Marine ecosystem expert Thon Thamrongnawasawat, who studied the sharks in Thai waters, explained: “The shark may have been swimming along the seabed and noticed the movement of its legs, mistaking them for prey.
“There was only one bite with no further wrestling, nibbling or meat eating.
“Therefore, we believe that it recognized that the tourist was not its natural prey and let her go.
“This behavior indicates that he did not intend to hunt a man, but a misunderstanding. I believe it was a sea bull.”
Police said locals had reported a shark sighting a few days earlier and one had been caught.
But they did not identify the species.
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Local authorities were seen investigating the beach after the attackCredit: ViralPress
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A woman was swimming in front of her hotel in Phang Nga when the horror happened Credit: ViralPress
Local tourism leaders are now scrambling to protect the area’s image after being seen patrolling the beach where the shark attack took place.
Lertsak Ponklin, chairman of the Tourism Business Association of Phang Nga Province, said warnings had been sent to local hotels, water sports operators and surf schools.
Ponklin said: “The next measure is to prevent Phang Nga province from becoming a rich feeding ground for sharks.
“If this was a shark attack, we need to study and learn what areas they swim in. We need to take precautions to prevent tourists from swimming there.”
The head of tourism added that the authorities must make tourists “understand the situation” and “urgently push” more lifeguards on the beaches to protect them.
Phang Nga is located in the west of Thailand along the coast of the Andaman Sea, extending into the Bay of Bengal.
The region is home to reef sharks, tiger sharks, bull sharks, gray reef sharks and even hammerhead sharks, all of which can attack humans.
What are bull sharks?
BIK sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) are a species of shark known for their adaptability, aggressive behavior and ability to survive in salt and freshwater environments.
Sharks are considered one of the “big three” shark species most involved in attacks on humans, along with great white sharks and tiger sharks.
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), they are known to be aggressive towards humans and are considered one of the most dangerous shark species in the world.
This is partly because they often inhabit areas with significant human activity.
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Source: HIS Education