Teenage girl has leg bitten off by shark in second horror attack in two days at Brazilian holiday resort

A teenager has had her leg bitten off by a shark in a second horror attack in just two days at a popular Brazilian holiday getaway.

An 11-year-old named overnight as Joao Lucas Castor Nemezio Sales lost his left leg on Sunday afternoon after being mauled by a bull shark.

And yesterday Marcela Vitoria de Lima Santos, 19, had her right leg amputated following a new attack blamed on a tiger shark.

The second drama occurred in Boa Viagem, a popular upscale coastal neighbourhood in the city of Recife in north-east Brazil just a 10-minute drive north of Piedade Beach in nearby Jaboatao dos Guararapes where the boy was bitten.

Both are patients at the same hospital called Hospital da Restauracao in Recife, a place known for its shark problem.

Footage of yesterday’s incident showed Marcela being dragged out of the ocean by her lifeguard cousin and other beachgoers minus her missing leg.

An off-duty doctor credited with saving her life was among those who went to help and laid her on the beach so he could perform emergency first aid while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

The bite victim appeared unable to process what was happening because of the state of shock she was in.

The cousin, Jonas Andre de Lima, told Brazilian TV: “I was the one who rescued her in the sea. I went into the water because she was drifting a little farther away, losing strength.

"I grabbed her by the arm and brought her back, pulling her, swimming toward the shore, and people came and helped me. She was very badly injured; she had already lost her leg.”

Hospital director Petrus de Andrade Lima said overnight after Marcela underwent emergency surgery: “She will possibly still need more blood. She was in profound hemorrhagic shock, received blood, will likely need more, and there is a second concern that all these patients who suffer an animal bite face which is the risk of infection.”

He added, saying the off-duty doctor who comes from Sao Paulo and was holidaying in the area saved her life by applying a tourniquet to stop the bleeding: “For patients who are experiencing such severe hemorrhages where there is an imminent risk to life, we have to stop the bleeding, and in the case of limbs, especially amputated limbs like hers, the tourniquet saves lives.”

Speaking of the 11-year-old boy attacked the previous day, who is serious but stable, the medic added: “He lost all the blood in his body.”

His school has been asking for people to donate blood, saying in a social media message yesterday alongside a photo of the youngster: “Our dear student Joao Lucas, from the 6th grade afternoon class, is hospitalised and needs blood donations.

“Can't donate? Share this post. Your help will go a long way.”

It went on to confirm he was the lad mauled on Sunday, saying he was blood type A+.

Both bite victims lived in Recife suburbs and the areas they went swimming in have warning signs on the beach alerting about the dangers of sharks, although bathing is not banned in either area.

Joao Lucas’ uncle Aldemir Jose recalled the moment he realised the youngster had been attacked in an emotional local newspaper interview yesterday.

He told how he had gone to the beach with three children including his nephew and daughter after finishing work.

Fighting back tears he said: “We were all in the sea before the attack and I had just left the water and left the kids in the sea.

“Then I heard a strange noise and when I turned round all I could see was blood. I didn’t think twice and raced into the water to get my nephew out.

“He was conscious and just kept begging me not to let him die.”

A nurse tended to the injured youngster until the first emergency responders arrived.

Initial reports said the shark had bitten the child in the hip and left hand in the incident that occurred just after 1.30pm on Sunday.

His security guard uncle later told local paper Diario de Pernambuco the information he had been given was that his left leg had been amputated.

The shark that attacked Joao Lucas has been identified as a bull shark and a tiger shark has been linked to the attack on the teenage girl.

Danise Alves, the executive secretary of the State Committee for Monitoring Shark Incidents (CEMIT), said after Sunday’s incident: “In Jaboatao, the bathing ban extends from the BarraMares Hotel to the Piedade Church.

“Where the boy was attacked, the sign informs that the area is subject to attacks and provides information on when swimming should be avoided.”

The new shark attack was the fourth so far this year in the north-east Brazilian state of Pernambuco which Recife and nearby Jaboatao dos Guararapes both form part of.

The first two attacks happened in January.

In the last 34 years there have been 84 recorded shark attacks in the state, resulting in 27 deaths.

Some travellers to the area have commented on the shark danger on Piedade Beach on sites like Tripadvisor.

One English speaker said recently “A very cool beach, unfortunately inappropriate for bathing because it is quite dangerous due to the attacks of sharks, but worth the walk.”

Another said: “That beach is beautiful and we stayed in a hotel facing the sea, but you cannot bathe because of the presence of sharks.

“There are many beaches 50 or 100 km away, so it was essential for us to rent a car.”

On March 5 2023 a 14-year-old lost one of his legs after being attacked by a shark on Piedade Beach.

The following day a 15-year-old boy lost his left arm after entering the sea in the same area.