A 15-year-old girl lost her arm in a shark attack at Piedade Beach in Pernambuco State, Brazil, marking the second brutal attack on a teenager within a 48-hour period.
On March 6, bystanders pulled Kaylane Timoteo Freitas from the water, her arm torn off by a shark of unknown species. The 15-year-old suffered serious injuries to her stomach and leg as well.
In the wake of the attack, emergency services arrived to assist the injured girl. They airlifted the teen to the hospital, where doctors amputated part of her left arm.
“When I saw her, she was already covered in blankets and being taken away,” Andréa Caribé, a witness to the grisly shark attack, told The Mirror. “Even after that, some people remained in the water. [Lifeguards] were pulling people out.”
According to the latest reports, Kaylane remains in the hospital but is in stable condition.
The shark attack on the teen marked the third off the coast of Pernambuco in two weeks and the second in just two days. On March 5, a 14-year-old boy was swimming off the same beach a mere 1,600 feet from where Kaylane lost her arm when he was mauled by a shark. First responders airlifted him to a hospital where staff amputated his right leg.
A similar attack occurred on February 20, when a shark bit a surfer at Praia Del Chifre in Olinda.
Authorities Urge Swimmers, Surfers to Stay Away From Water Due to Frequent Shark Attacks
According to paramedic Marcelo Alves, authorities restricted swimming in the area back in 2021 due to the frequency of shark attacks. Visitors continue to venture into the water, however, resulting in further incidents.
“The team is already alert about these events that have been happening,” he told The Sun. “Unfortunately, there is a law that says that swimming is not allowed, but people insist on going into the sea.”
Authorities have reportedly installed at least 150 signs along the coast since 1999. Each sign warns beachgoers against swimming in the water, citing the high risk of attacks. The Greater Recife area, which houses Piedade Beach, is believed to be the most deadly shark attack spot in the world.
The region houses several species of sharks, including bull sharks, tiger sharks, and lemon sharks. All three swim in shallow waters close to shore, and bull and tiger sharks have been known to attack swimmers.
The City Hall is in the process of scheduling a meeting with the State Committee for Monitoring Shark Incidents. In it, they will decide if they need to take further action to protect beachgoers from the dangerous waters.
Despite these horrific attacks, however, sharks typically don’t pose a threat to humans. There are more than 300 species of shark in the world. Only around a dozen have been involved in attacks on humans, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The majority of human attacks are by great white, tiger, and bull sharks.
Additionally, the apparent rise in shark attacks is not from a surge in aggression. Instead, it’s caused by a rise in human population and the steady destruction of wildlife habitats worldwide.