A snorkeler has reportedly been bitten by a shark off the coast of Cornwall. The swimmer sustained a leg injury and was rescued by the coastguard, Cornwall Live reports.
The incident happened on Thursday last week (July 28) off the coast of Penzance. HM Coastguard confirmed that it is believed the injury was caused by a suspected shark bite.
A spokesperson said: "HM Coastguard sent Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team to meet a snorkeler who suffered a suspected shark bite. The coastguard was notified just before 12.30pm on Thursday (July 28). It is believed the swimmer suffered a leg injury. The coastguard team met the casualty at Penzance harbour to assist with passing them into the care of the ambulance service."
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Shark attacks remain rare, especially in the UK. Several species, including blue sharks, porbeagle sharks and basking sharks, visit the English coast each year, but none of them tend to attack humans.
The British Sea Fishing website reports : "Blue shark attacks on humans are extremely rare but have been recorded. In total, on a world-wide basis, there are four confirmed cases of fatal blue shark attacks on humans with twenty-five confirmed non-fatal attacks. In August 2012 a beach in Ceredigion, Wales, was closed to bathers due to the presence of a blue shark.
"The shark was spotted swimming in between boats and came very close to the shore, swimming past tourists in just a few feet of water. Later in the same month another beach in West Dorset had to be closed for an hour and a half due to another blue shark."
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