Marine Life Mexican tourist survives shark attack - Cocos Island National Park

[DandyDon]

Mexican Diver Survives Shark Attack at Costa Rica's Cocos Island

A Mexican diver got bitten by a shark while diving near Costa Rica's Cocos Island, suffering head injuries but staying stable.

ticotimes.net

A Mexican tourist survived a shark bite during a dive near Cocos Island National Park, off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. The man, in his 40s, got attacked on his scalp and the left side of his face while exploring underwater at a site called Roca Sucia, about 30 meters deep. The shark also damaged his air hoses, forcing him to surface quickly to avoid further issues.

Firefighters responded fast after the alert came in around midday on Saturday. They treated him on site, stopping the bleeding and keeping him stable before prepping for transport. Because Cocos Island sits over 500 kilometers from the mainland, the trip back to Puntarenas by boat will take 36 to 40 hours. Doctors expect him to reach a hospital there for more care once he arrives.

Witnesses say the shark reacted during a tagging effort, not out of aggression. The diver’s mask likely protected him from worse injuries. Officials have not named the shark species yet, and they plan to look into the full details to assess any risks for future visits.

Cocos Island gets divers from around the world due to its rich sea life, including schools of hammerheads and other sharks. Attacks like this happen seldom in these waters; the last major one made headlines back in 2017 when a U.S. woman died from a tiger shark bite. Park rangers stress that most encounters stay safe if people follow guidelines, like keeping distance and avoiding actions that might startle marine animals.

 

[rongoodman]

There are no firefighters on the island, perhaps they meant rangers. What would a "tagging effort" be?

 

[Johnoly]

When we were out there, we had 2 ER nurses in our group. They stitched up a diver who cut their head who hit it on a backrolling diver's gear. It was alot of luck that the boat had a healthy supply of lidocaine on board to numb the needle since it about a dozen stitches. 36 hours from land is a very long time if something goes wrong. @rongoodman a few years ago Undersea Explorer was attaching Sat-Tags to different sharks.

 

[rongoodman]

Part of the trip fee is for a fast evacuation boat from the mainland, but I've never heard exactly how it works. Do they start back to port and meet it on the way?

 

[Johnoly]

Part of the trip fee is for a fast evacuation boat from the mainland, but I've never heard exactly how it works. Do they start back to port and meet it on the way?

I don't know what the Ecuador rescue helicopters are. The USCG is mostly the Dolphin helicopters and they have a 'land to open ocean' range of 200km one way. That gives them about 20 minutes on site & then back another 200km to land. Cocos is 500km one way. On our trip we all agreed that no one would even turn on the deco light on our computers because it's deep out there. Promises & insurance are nice to hear. In reality, there is no immediate rescue and your expensive trip may return after a single day because a fellow diver “pushed it” or didn't pay attention to the briefing. Sorry no refunds for coming back early not even insurance. It's a bucket list great trip & one of my top 3 trips taken,,,,,,when going with people you know & trust.

 

[chillyinCanada]

There are no firefighters on the island, perhaps they meant rangers. What would a "tagging effort" be?

Tagging the shark for tracking and/or identifying though why a diver would be *in* the water for this exercise escapes me.

 

[Kay Dee]

When we were out there, we had 2 ER nurses in our group. They stitched up a diver who cut their head who hit it on a backrolling diver's gear. It was alot of luck that the boat had a healthy supply of lidocaine on board to numb the needle since it about a dozen stitches. 36 hours from land is a very long time if something goes wrong. @rongoodman a few years ago Undersea Explorer was attaching Sat-Tags to different sharks.

Don't think what you are describing was me, although that did happen to me (on Undersea Hunter) out there. But not a lot of Lidocaine aboard back in those daze. Ouch. Lost a days diving too.

 

[MB NZ]

A crewman on a Red Sea liveaboard I was on, sliced himself open from elbow to wrist while filleting a tuna. I recommended we take him back to shore, but it was relayed to me that he couldn't afford medical care even if we did. Makes you think.

The wound went all the way through the skin for the most part, but luckily, the underlying structures were intact as far as I could tell. I washed it out with drinking water and they had a suture kit on board, but no local anaesthetic. He wouldn't take a drink because he was a good Muslim, so his mates held him down while I did the needlework. Poor bastard. I often wonder how it turned out for him.

 

[DandyDon]

The original article referred to him as a tourist, but it seems that he is a marine biologist...

Mexican marine biologist seriously injured in shark attack off Costa Rica

Costa Rica's Fire Department said it rescued 48-year-old Mauricio Hoyos from the attack and carried him on a 36-hour journey from Cocos Island.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Luca Brasi]

He is a well known marine biologist from Mexico. I have dove with him In Soccoro. He told us amazing stories of diving outside the cage with great whites in Guadeloupe. Obviously tagging large sharks increases the possibility of attacks