Lifeguard Attacked and Killed by Shark off Sinaloa Coast

By Maureen Dietrich, The Mazatlan Messenger,
22. November 2012

Altata, Navolato: Media reported today that 32-year-old lifeguard Cárdenas García was attacked by a shark at 11:40am off the Nuevo Altata beach after cutting rope that had entangled him in high waves.

The young lifeguard was rescued by his compañeros but died of the wounds in the hospital.

Local lifeguards and rescue personnel said this shark attack was very unusual, an isolated incident.

Juan Acereto, President of the Sinaloa Association of Sports Fishing, suggested that as there were seals in the area, they might have attracted the large predator, which could have been a white shark, a mako or a cornuda. He added that sharks are usually found in open water, not in the bahía.

Professor Leobardo Plomosa of the Faculty of Ocean Sciences advised there have been few instances of shark attacks in Mexico or Sinaloa.

Civil protection in Navolato closed the beach to swimmers for the next three days. (from Noroeste)