Man suffers serious arm injury after being bitten by shark off Cork

A Belfast man was bitten by a shark while fishing off the coast of Cork on Saturday evening.

The man sustained a serious lower arm injury while deep-sea angling.

The man was given immediate first aid by the crew of the angling boat he was on, before being transferred to the lifeboat where further casualty care was given on board.

Crosshaven RNLI volunteers were called to the scene at 6pm.

A RNLI spokesman added: “This was more of an angling accident than a shark attack, there was a bit of a struggle when pulling the shark on board.

“We’re not trying to panic anyone.”

The boat Deora De sailed towards Crosshaven from about eight miles offshore and met with the Crosshaven lifeboat about four miles south of Roches Point.

The lifeboat was met at Crosshaven by an ambulance and the man was transported to Cork University Hospital.

Although blue sharks are the most common species of shark in Irish waters, they rarely bite humans.

They usually feed on small fish and squid, and can live for around 20 years.

Until 2013, the blue shark was implicated in only 13 biting incidents with humans, four of which ended fatally.

Crosshaven RNLI added: “We wish the patient well.”