British tourist in intensive care after shark attack

The 64-year-old tourist sustained injuries to his hand, thigh and stomach, according to The Mirror, after venturing into the water at Turtle Beach along Great Courland Bay.

The Trinidad and Tobago government were forced to close seven beaches along the north-western coast of the island of Tobago as a result of the attack.

The shark attack reportedly happened just 10 metres off shore. (Image: Alamy/PA)

The government said in a statement that shark sightings were reported in the Grafton area and the Buccoo Reef Marine Park.

Officials said the closures will allow the Coast Guard and Department of Fisheries to investigate the incident and “neutralise the shark threat, if possible”.

British tourist in intensive car after shark attack

The British man was taken to hospital following the shark attack and was admitted to an intensive care unit, officials reported on Friday (April 26).

He was attacked by a bull shark approximately 10 meters away from the shore and in waist-deep water, The Mirror reported.

The shark, witnesses believe, was up to ten feet long and two feet in width, the news outlet continued.

Witness Stephanie Wright from West Sussex, in The Mirror, said: “We saw some people on the beach, and I originally thought the gentleman had had a cardiac arrest, and I thought they were helping him.

"And then I saw someone running down with a towel, and then I saw a dorsal fin come out of the water and thought, ‘Oh my God, it's a shark.’

RECOMMENDED READING:

• UK shark season looms as 40ft giants from the deep migrate to our shores
• 400-year-old carnivorous sharks found lurking in the depths of British waters
• See the top 4 locations in England with the most snakes

"As it turned, I saw the tail come out as well. As it swam off.”

Last year, there were 69 unprovoked attacks and 22 provoked bites worldwide, along with 14 fatalities, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.