In the United States, a shark attacked Tatyana Koltunyuk, a Ukrainian woman living in New York but originally from Odesa. It is reported that the predator bit off about 9 kilograms of tissue, but the woman managed to survive, and medical workers are in the process of rescuing her.
Tatyana Koltunyuk, 65, was attacked by a shark off the coast of Rockaway Beach. The predator bit off a significant section of her left leg above the knee. Rescuers heard her cries for help and quickly pulled her out of the water, providing first aid. She was also given a tourniquet on her leg to stop the bleeding until an ambulance arrived.
Tatyana was taken to a Jamaican hospital, where on Tuesday her condition was assessed as stable but critical, police said. The police report claims the woman lost about 20 pounds (9.07 kg) of tissue.
Following the Monday night attack, the NYPD conducted extensive surveys of the area using helicopters and drones, but no shark was found.
“We hope for a full recovery of this swimmer. Despite the terrible event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark bites are extremely rare on Rockaway Beach,” Parks Department spokeswoman Megan Lalor said.
Parks Department officials and experts said this was the first shark attack on Rockaway Beach in recent years.
“In all my time working with sharks, I have never heard of such an injury in our waters. The incident itself is unusual,” said Hans Walters, a field scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium.