Man airlifted to hospital following suspected shark bite off Irish coast

A man is being treated in hospital after a suspected shark bite off the coast of Ireland.

The incident happened on a small boat off Co Waterford on Tuesday afternoon.

A spokesperson for the Irish Department of Transport said a man on board the vessel suffered a leg injury.

The spokesperson said on Wednesday: “At approximately 4.15pm yesterday, the Irish Coast Guard’s Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Dublin were alerted by a 999/112 call to an incident on board a small fishing vessel south of Ardmore, Co Waterford.

“The report was that a male on board the fishing vessel had a leg injury inflicted by a bite from a shark.

“The Coast Guard’s Waterford-based helicopter, Rescue 117, was tasked to the scene as well as the Ballycotton RNLI all weather lifeboat and the Youghal RNLI inshore lifeboat.

“The male casualty was winched on board on Rescue 117 and taken to Cork University Hospital and handed over into the care of the HSE.”