A 15-year-old American tourist lost his leg in a shark attack while vacationing in Belize, ABC News reported.
Annabelle Carlson was with her family on an expedition with Belize Dive Pro to Lighthouse Reef near Halfmoon Caye in the Gulf of Honduras. Carlson had just completed a dive when a shark bit off one of her legs.
“The person who was bitten by the shark was on his right leg,” Belize Coast Guard Admiral Elton Bennett said. ABC News“So he lost his right leg.”
During People and local sales points Channel 5 And 7NewsBelize The victim was identified as Sofia Carlson, Carlson's mother confirmed ABC She said her oldest daughter, Annabelle, was the one injured in the attack. Carlson's mother reported that Annabelle was attacked by a reef shark that appeared to be about six feet long.
Carlson was pulled from the water by Dive Pro staff and taken to a Coast Guard base, where he was stabilized and then transported by helicopter to a local hospital. “He is in stable condition and recovering,” Bennett told the outlet on Thursday.
Authorities in Belize reiterated that it was an “unfortunate situation” but noted that shark attacks were not common in their area. “We are very sorry about this, but I want to emphasize that this is very rare,” said Andre Perez, Belize’s Blue Economy Minister. Channel 5.
“There must be another reason,” Perez claimed. [the attack] “It's too early to tell right now.” Like the mayor JawsHe argued that tourists should not be discouraged from going to the beach. “I don't think this is the right time to say, 'Okay, you know, we don't want to go swimming anymore,'” Perez argued.