Foreign tourist dies after being bitten by a shark on the Mexican beach of Zihuatanejo

A 66 year-old foreign tourist died this Thursday after being bitten by an animal while swimming at Playa Quieta, in the hotel zone of Ixtapa, in the north of the Guerrero state municipality of Zihuatanejo. According to the local news outlet Enfoque Informativo de Guerrero, it was a shark that bit the man in one of his extremities and just minutes later, he died on shore after losing too much blood. Sources from Civil Protection of the municipality told EL PAÍS that Navy personnel are looking for a shark, although they do not rule out the possibility that the culprit could have been a crocodile, since this type of reptile is abundant in the area. A woman was also attacked in the water and has been taken to a nearby hospital.

Ixtapa’s Quieta Beach has been closed by the authorities, while the Navy searches for the animal. Zihuatanejo Civil Protection sources have reported that medical services tried to save the man’s life on the shore, but were unsuccessful due to the severity of the wounds. They also pointed out that this type of attack does not usually occur at Playa Quieta. Althotugh, the second victim has been taken to a nearby hospital to treat her bite wounds, the severity of her injuries is unknown.

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