Marcela Vitória of Lima Santos, 19 years old, was bitten by a shark on Monday afternoon at Praia of Boa Viagem, at Zona Sul of Recife. Ela came out of the sea without his right leg. The victim’s cousin, vigilante Jonas André of Lima, entered the water and pulled her to the sand.
Imagens from the rescue show the young woman being treated on the beach by bathers and a doctor who was passing by. The incident occurred around 2pm. Marcela was with relatives and friends when he decided to enter the sea.
Bombeiros’s Corpo and Samu have been triggered. The young woman received her first care while still on the sand. Then she was taken to Hospital Alfa, in Boa Viagem. Depois from initial stabilization, Marcela was transferred to Hospital from Restauração, in Derby, reference in high complexity cases.
Primo reports moment of rescue
Jonas André from Lima said that she saw her cousin moving away and losing strength. Ele went into the sea to help her.
“I helped her at sea. Entrei because she was moving a little further away, losing strength. Peguei took her arm, I brought her, pulled her swimming to the seashore and the people arrived and helped me”, said the cousin on Globo TV.
Ele added that Marcela was already very hurt when being removed from the water. A doctor from Minas Gerais who was on the beach provided first aid before the official teams arrived. The young woman lives in São Lourenço of Mata, in Grande Recife, and studied Direito.
Jovem undergoes surgery and remains in serious condition
Marcela Vitória of Lima Santos reached Hospital of Restauração with complete amputation at the level of the right thigh. The medical team performed surgery to regularize the stump and control the bleeding.
The hospital director, surgeon Petrus of Andrade Lima, reported that the procedure ended in the early evening. The patient was taken to the ICU and remains in serious but stable condition, under intensive monitoring.
- The victim lost his right leg at the thigh.
- Ela received initial care on the beach itself
- The transfer occurred after stabilization on Hospital Alfa
- The case involved quick action by bathers and professionals
- Marcela was conscious during part of the rescue
Praia of Boa Viagem has alert history
Placas shark risk alerts are installed close to the attack site, in the vicinity of Padaria Boa Viagem. The last incident recorded in the area, according to Comitê Estadual of Monitoramento of Incidentes with Tubarões (Cemit), was in 2013.
Swimming in the sea is not prohibited in the region, but Cemit recommends precautions. Banhistas must avoid entering the water at high tide, pay extra attention during periods of full moon, not wear shiny jewelry and not enter the sea with injuries or bleeding.
The shark involved in Monday’s attack was preliminarily identified as an adult tiger shark, measuring around three meters.
Segundo case in less than 24 hours on Grande Recife
On Sunday, an 11-year-old boy, João Lucas Castor Nemezio Sales, was bitten by a shark in Piedade’s Praia, Guararapes’s Jaboatão. Ele suffered injuries to his left hand and thigh. The left leg needed to be amputated.
The boy arrived at Hospital from Restauração in a very serious condition. Ele also underwent surgery and remains hospitalized in a serious but stable condition. The incident at Piedade was the 24th recorded on that beach since the beginning of the Cemit historical series in 1992.
The two attacks reignited the debate over security on Região Metropolitana’s Recife beaches. Autoridades reinforce the importance of following prevention guidelines, especially in areas known for the presence of marine species.
Cemit continuously monitors the coast of Pernambuco. Especialistas point out that factors such as river flow, depth close to the shore and weather conditions can influence the approach of sharks. Não There is, however, a general ban on sea bathing on the affected beaches.
Recomendações safety for swimmers
Corpo from Bombeiros guides simple measures to reduce risk in areas with a history of incidents:
- Evitar the sea during high tide
- Aumentar attention on full moon days
- Não use shiny objects in water
- Manter distance from regions with river outlets
- Sair immediately out of the water upon noticing any strange sign
Marcela Vitória of Lima Santos remains hospitalized. Familiares await the evolution of the clinical picture in the next few hours. The case is still being monitored by health and environmental monitoring authorities.
