Bull shark rips off portion of fisherman’s leg in Vaitarna river

Vicky initially taken to nearby private hospital; due to blood loss, transferred to Silvassa. Shark found dead in shallow water hours later.

PALGHAR: A bull shark, the species which can live and breed in freshwater, ripped off the calf muscle of a 35-year-old fisherman in the Vaitarna river, Palghar.

Bull shark rips off portion of fisherman’s leg in Vaitarna river

The encounter with the fish with razor-sharp teeth took place when the fisherman, Vicky Suresh Govari, had gone fishing at the banks of the river near the Manor Dongri area on Tuesday evening. The shark, weighing around 200 kg, sprang up a surprise attack and grabbed the left leg of Vicky. Hearing his screams, the locals rescued him to the shore.

Vicky was rushed to a private hospital nearby, however, due to excessive blood loss, he was transferred to Silvassa for further treatment.

Hours after the incident, the shark was stuck in shallow water and died, according to sources.

The Vaitarna River rises from Trimbakeshwar, 28 km from Nashik, and reaches the sea near Dativare, Palghar. According to experts, the shark probably got in the river water during the high tide and subsequently could not return to the sea, as the water level went down during low tide.

This is the first time that a shark has been seen in the creek area of the Vaitarna. This has created fear amongst the locals who carry out fishing activities and sand mining in this section of the river.