A German tourist was attacked by a shark in front of horrified tourists at a popular holiday beach in Thailand.
Elke Maier, 57, screamed in pain as the beast sank its teeth into her leg while she was swimming outside her hotel in Phang Nga on November 29.
Tourists helped her limp ashore as she bled profusely from the 12-inch (30 cm) open wound on her lower left leg.
The victim was rushed from Khao Lak beach to the local hospital before being transferred to a larger facility in Phuket for emergency surgery.
She has been recovering there since then and will undergo a second operation today, local media report.
Police and conservationists have confirmed the culprit was a bull shark, believed to be around 5 feet long. They visited Mrs. Maier in the hospital and promised to catch the shark.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Ekkachai Siri said: “The victim’s condition has improved a lot and she will undergo surgery again this afternoon if she continues to recover well.”
‘The tourist has travel insurance and we have provided her with documentation to support it. The German Embassy will also help.
“Officers are searching for the shark so they can capture and relocate it.”
A German tourist’s leg was mauled by a shark while she was swimming outside her hotel in Phang Nga on November 29.
Graphic images show his injured leg bleeding profusely. He had a large wound with teeth marks that measured about six inches (15 cm) wide and 12 inches (30 cm) long.
Marine ecosystem expert Thon Thamrongnawasawat, who has studied marine animals in Thai waters, confirmed that the creature responsible was a bull shark.
He added: “It is possible that the shark swam along the seabed and noticed the movement of its legs, mistaking them for prey.” There was only one bite with no further struggle, bite or eating of the meat. So we believe that he recognized that the tourist was not his natural prey and released her.
This behavior indicated that he had no intention of hunting a human, but rather a misunderstanding. I think it was the bull shark.
Shocked onlookers said the beast responsible for the attack was around 5 feet long. They believe he then swam away toward deeper waters.
Elke had a large wound with teeth marks about 15cm (6in) wide and 30cm (12in) long. The teeth had pierced his skin and muscles.
Police and local officials arrived at the beach. They said locals had reported shark sightings a few days earlier and that one had been captured. However, they had not identified the species.
Holidaymaker Friedrich Bach, also from Germany, said: “Conditions at sea were calm, but then there was some panic.
‘I could hear screams and people helping a woman. I could hear people shouting “shark, shark.” I’m afraid to go back to the sea.’
Tourist Elke Maier, 57, appears at the hospital where she is receiving treatment for her leg injury.
Police said locals had reported shark sightings a few days earlier and that one had been captured.
Lifeguard Athit Athit Pinyo, 29, from a beachfront hotel, said tourists raised the alarm after the attack on Elke.
He said: ‘A foreign tourist raised her hand and screamed for help. I quickly ran down to the beach to help the tourist.
‘I took a board device into the water to help. She had a deep wound on her left leg that had teeth marks and looked like it had been bitten by a shark.
‘The area where the tourist went to play in the water was not very deep, it only reached up to his chest. It seemed safe.
Ms Maier was rushed from Khao Lak beach to the local hospital before being transferred to a larger facility in Phuket for emergency surgery.
Local tourism bosses are now fighting to protect the area’s image. They are seen in the video patrolling the beach where the shark attack occurred.
Lertsak Ponklin, president of the Phang Nga Province Tourism Business Association, said warnings had been sent to local hotels, water sports operators and surf schools.
The tourism chief added: ‘The next measure is to prevent Phang Nga province from becoming a rich feeding ground for sharks.
‘If it was a shark attack, we must study and know in which areas they swim. We must take precautionary measures to prevent tourists from swimming there.
Shocked onlookers said the beast responsible for the attack was around 5 feet long. They believe he then swam toward deeper waters.
Lertsak Ponklin, president of the Phang Nga Province Tourism Business Association, said warnings had been sent to local hotels, water sports operators and surf schools.
‘We must make tourists understand the situation. “In addition, we must urgently push for Phang Nga province to have more lifeguards to protect tourists on the beaches.”
Phang Nga is located in western Thailand, along the coast of the Andaman Sea, and extends to the Bay of Bengal.
The region is home to reef sharks, tiger sharks, bull sharks, gray reef sharks and even hammerhead sharks. All of them are capable of attacking humans.