A teenager has passed away horribly in Brazil after a shark bit off his leg and his genitalia.
The boy’s name was Jose Ernestor da Silva. According to a report by the Daily Mail, he was the victim of a grizzly shark attack on Sunday, June 3. Da Silva was swimming at Piedade beach, not far from Recife on the north-eastern coast of Brazil, in the state of Pernambuco.
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Lifeguards reportedly called for da Silva to stay closer to the shore. Just minutes later, he was attacked by the shark.
The 18-year-old was rushed to Restauracoao Hospital in Recife. Doctors had to amputate his left leg due to the severe damage. They also undertook a three-hour-long surgery to re-attach veins to his genitalia. However, ultimately they were unable to slow da Silva’s blood loss. After several hours in the hospital, he passed away.
Unfortunately, da Silva was not the first victim of a shark attack in the area this year. Back in April, a 34-year-old tourist was reportedly bitten, losing an arm and a leg in the attack. Afterwards, da Silva’s mother specifically forbade him from swimming at the beach, but the young man took his chances.
Witnesses shot a brief and disturbing video of the moment other beach-goers pulled da Silva from the water. He laid on the beach unresponsive as he and his rescuers awaited emergency crews. He can be seen gasping for air while someone holds his head, encouraging him to “keep breathing.” Another bystander lifts his leg from the rough sand.
Medics reportedly speculated that da Silva was attacked by a tiger shark. Miguel Arcanjo, the Director General of the hospital, spoke to reporters afterward.
“He arrived unconscious, with an extremely serious injury. After the surgery he was taken to the Intensive Care Unit,” he said. “He lost a lot of blood, which was replaced, but he suffered hypovolemic shock and passed away.”
The area was reportedly marked by signs warning that shark attacks were possible, but da Silva and his friends weren’t alone on the beach. Lifeguards called for them to stay in the shallow waters.
“At the exact moment in which the lifeguards asked for them to come closer to the beach, he was bitten,” recalled a fire fighter who was on the scene.
Da Silva’s mother, Elisangela dos Anjos, spoke to reporters from JC Online. She revealed that da Silva’s brother, Ezequiel, was the one who called her from the beach to tell her about the attack.
“He would go in secret, because he knew that I thought it was dangerous. I wasn’t worried because I thought he was somewhere around the house,” she said. “When I heard about it I went crazy, all the neighbours heard me screaming.”
