Cristina Ojeda-Thies was the target of a shark attack in the Arinaga Beach on Christmas Day. The 38-year-old Spanish tourist was left with serious wounds after a three-metre shark grabbed her with its jaws and tried to bite her arm whole while swimming on the island of Gran
Fortunately, Ojeda-Thies was able to break free. After the first bite, the victim was able to escape. However, the shark did not stop. It went after her for more. Thankfully, Ojeda-Thies' strong right arm eventually scared the shark off after smacking it around the head.
Ojeda-Thie, who hails from Madrid, was on her holiday vacation when the attack happened. She went for a swim after having a meal with her relatives as a way of celebrating Christmas.
The victim recalled what transpired during that day. She said:
'I noticed something pulling at my left arm but I didn't pay any attention because it felt like a dog biting you when it's playing. I returned to the shoreline swimming crawl and I felt another pull again, more intense this time. Half a second later I felt something grabbing hold of me, I turned round and I saw it pulling at me. It was a fish. I hit it with my right hand and I saw the shark's fins as it swam off. As I turned round I saw it was a big greyish-brown fish and when I hit it I noticed it had hard, rough skin. But it's true it was something that frightened me. Thankfully I was able to react. I was still in the sea when I put my head underwater to see if it was following me and to look where I could escape to nearer the shoreline and I didn't see it again.'
According to experts in the local vicinity, the predator could have been a silky shark. They are usually found in tropical and warm seas all over the world.
Pascual Calabuig, director of the Wild Fauna Recovery Centre in Gran Canaria, described the incident as 'very rare'.
Meanwhile, here is a video on Australian curb shark attacks.
