A 19-foot great white shark decapitated a man in front of horrified witnesses earlier this month, claiming the first reported shark attack victim of 2023.
The attack occurred on Jan. 5 in the waters off the coast of San Jose Beach in Mexico’s Tobari Bay, according to a report.
POLICE OFFICER RESIGNS AFTER SUPERIORS SUSPEND HIM FOR TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE BELIEFS
The victim, identified as Manuel Lopez, was diving when “the animal attacked him, ripping off his head and biting both shoulders,” Jose Bernal, a fisherman who witnessed the attack, said.
Witnesses to the scene said Lopez was diving for ax tripe, a species of mollusk similar to scallops, and had been diving to depths of 59 feet without an air tank, according to the report.
Sharks had been spotted in the area, and fishermen were on high alert, Bernal said.
“Local divers had been warned about the presence of sharks in the area and most had not been out for several days,” he said.
Fear of sharks had led many fishermen to stay onshore, the report noted, but others, such as Lopez, ventured into the waters due to a shortage of seafood in the area.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Great white sharks are considered by many to be the ocean’s apex predator. They can grow up to two tons in weight and 20 feet in length, swim 35 mph, and they are armed with rows of roughly 300 serrated teeth, according to the report.
