A Belgian tourist was killed, and a 52-year-old Los Angeles, California woman was injured by either a shark or a crocodile at a beach in Mexico on Thursday, December 14, 2023.
The incidents occurred at Playa Quieta, a serene beach in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero state, on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
The deceased, identified as a 76-year-old Belgian man, was vacationing with his wife at a nearby resort when the attack occurred on Thursday. He sustained a traumatic leg injury, leading to his death at the scene.
In a separate incident, a woman was attacked shortly after and sustained leg injuries. She was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Authorities are currently investigating the attacks to determine the exact causes. The speculation revolves around a shark or a crocodile, both known to inhabit the waters in the area. The Guerrero State Civil Defense Office is closely examining the wounds to find out the type of animal involved.
The fatal incident, if confirmed as a shark attack, would mark the second such fatality this month along Mexico’s southern Pacific coast. Earlier in December, another shark attack claimed the life of a Mexican woman just off the beach town of Melaque, located west of the seaport of Manzanillo.
Guerrero State’s Tourism Secretary, Santos Ramírez, suggested the possibility of a crocodile attack, citing the unsuitability of water temperatures for sharks and the navy detected no sharks in the waters after the incident. A week before though, a crocodile was seen at a beach four miles south of Playa Quieta.
The beach has been temporarily closed following the attack as a precautionary measure.
