Spanish man attacked by blue shark while relaxing in shallow water
The blue shark made the attack off the coast of Spain
WIKICOMMONS
A shark has attacked a man off the coast of Spain.
A local went for a dip in the Oliva municipality on Thursday, around 50 miles south of Valencia on the east coast, in order to cool down as temperatures hit 31C.
It took just a matter of seconds before a blue shark suddenly appeared out of nowhere and lashed at him.
The man was just meters into the water, with the shallow sea barely reaching his knees when a "shadow" suddenly became visible.
The attack occurred in the Oliva municipality of Spainr
The shark rapidly swam up to him before sinking its teeth into his foot.
"I noticed a blow to my left leg and then a bite to my right foot," he told local news outlet Las Provincias.
The sea quickly turned bright red as blood flooded out from his wound, but the local was still unaware of exactly what had attacked him.
Not realising the seriousness of the situation he headed further into the sea.
He added: "I didn't have time to get scared.
Noticing that blood was coming out of me, I went into the sea so as not to alarm everyone."
It was only once the local got out of the sea and sought medical attention for treatment that the exact nature of his injury became known.
After studying his bite, specialists informed the man that he had been attacked by a blue shark.
He was taken to the Oliva Health Centre for treatment of the gurseome injury and given a tetanus injection.
Beaches in the nearby areas were immediately closed while a thorough search for the shark was carried out.
The sea was only re-opened to the public 24 hours later once officials could be sure that it was safe.
Beaches councillor Salvador Llopis said: "There have been raids and surveillance continues and the Oliva coast is free, so it has returned to normal."