Man Rushed To Hospital After Being Bitten By Shark Off The Coast Of Cork

A man was seriously injured yesterday after being bitten by a shark at Crosshaven off the coast of Cork.

RNLI Volunteers were called to the scene at 6pm, after the Belfast man sustained a lower arm injury after being bitten by a blue shark while angling in the area.

The man was given first aid by crew on board the deep sea angling boat ‘Deora De’, before being transferred to a lifeboat by emergency services and later to Cork University Hospital by ambulance, according to The Irish Examiner.

A Belfast angler is this morning recovering at Cork University Hospital after being attacked by a Blue Shark while fishing from a boat 13 miles off the Cork coast yesterday evening.He sustained serious lower arm injuries.Crosshaven #RNLI assisted in rescue….

— Padraig O’Reilly Photographer (@padraig_reilly) September 2, 2018

The blue shark is the most common shark species in the world. They can grow up to 4 metres long, and the record for a blue shark caught in Irish waters is 93.5 kg (206 lb).

They are often observed swimming slowly near the surface, but are “capable of explosive bursts of speed” according to Ireland’s Wildlife.

According to the publication, ‘Blues feed mainly on smaller prey, predominantly schooling fish and squid, but will readily take larger prey items such as smaller sharks, marine mammals and carrion should the opportunity arise.’

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