Cork surgeons to rebuild shark attack victim's leg after dramatic sea rescue
A man who survived a shark attack off the coast of County Waterford is due to undergo surgery at Cork University Hospital today, in a procedure that will see doctors rebuild his injured leg using tissue from another part of his body.
Sebastian Achim was angling for sharks on a small vessel south of Ardmore earlier this week when the blue shark lunged at him, sinking its teeth into his calf. The 26-year-old lost a significant amount of blood and repeatedly lost consciousness as he and his three crewmates waited three hours for emergency services to arrive.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Achim said he did not believe he would survive the ordeal. “I didn't think I was going to make it,” he recalled, explaining that he passed out roughly ten minutes after the attack and only regained awareness when he heard the rescue helicopter overhead.
“I couldn't stand, every time I would try to stand I would pass out. I was very lucky to get back ok, only because of the helicopter, otherwise I don't think I would have made it because I lost too much blood,” he said.
What does the surgery involve?
Doctors have told Mr Achim that he is missing tissue and skin from the bite wound. Today's operation will involve replacing this by grafting tissue from another part of his body, a procedure that offers hope of restoring feeling to the leg.
He said he felt no pain at the moment of the bite, but that the reality of his situation hit once he reached hospital. “I didn't feel pain until I got to the hospital. When I got to the hospital I realised the gravity, my adrenaline rush washed off,” he said.
The most intense pain so far came during bandage changes, he added, and he is still unable to put any weight on the leg. He has lost some sensation in the limb but hopes it will return after surgery.
What happened on the fishing trip?
Mr Achim, who had never been hospitalised before in his life, had set out at noon on Tuesday hoping to catch his first blue shark. The crew, experienced fishermen, had already caught and tagged several sharks for research purposes when Mr Achim hooked one of his own and pulled it into the boat.
The plan was to tag the fish and release it. He removed the hook easily and kept what he believed was a safe distance, at least half a metre from the animal's tail.
“I was just admiring the fish itself, when he just jumped in a millisecond and grabbed into my calf,” he said.
He does not believe the attack was deliberate. “I cannot say if it was a deliberate attack or it was not a deliberate attack, but the fish is in the right anyway, we took it out of the water and the fish was in his survival instinct,” he said. The crew threw the shark back into the water without tagging it, not wanting to panic the animal further.
How did he stay calm?
Mr Achim said he focused on the injury and the bleeding, tying a rope above the wound and calling emergency services. Everyone on board understood the seriousness of the situation.
His thoughts, he said, were with his girlfriend. “The experience was scary, but I was not scared for myself. I was just thinking about my girlfriend, trying to hold myself strong so I didn't scare the crew as well,” he explained.
“I was trying to keep myself awake so I didn't make anyone panic. It doesn't matter the gravity of the problem, it matters for me that the people around do not suffer because of my actions.”
What do we know about blue sharks in Irish waters?
Blue sharks are long-distance migrants found in Irish waters typically from June to October, according to Inland Fisheries Ireland. Recreational anglers take them on a catch-and-release basis.
These sharks can grow to over three metres in length and feed in open water on fish, squid, smaller sharks and even sea birds.
Between 1970 and 2013, the Marine Sportfish Tagging Programme tagged 19,309 blue sharks off the coast of Ireland, accounting for 45% of all fish tagged since the programme began.
Is it safe to swim in Irish waters?
Shark attacks on humans in Irish waters are extremely rare. Blue sharks, while present in significant numbers, are generally not considered aggressive toward people. Encounters like this one, involving a hooked fish reacting in self-defence, are exceptional circumstances rather than a pattern of behaviour.
Marine experts advise that anglers handling sharks should exercise caution and maintain a greater distance from the animal's head and tail, as even a defensive reflex can cause serious injury.
Mr Achim's case serves as a reminder of the power of these ocean predators, and of the skill of the emergency services who brought him safely to shore.