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2w ago

After Shark Bite at Cocos Island, Mexican Researcher Reaches San José in Stable Condition Following 36-Hour Evacuation

The bite occurred during a One Ocean Worldwide Coalition tagging study, according to Costa Rica’s Fire Department.

(GERMANY OUT) Two Whitetip reef sharks and scuba diver, Triaenodon obesus, Costa Rica, Pacific Ocean, Cocos Island, Latin america (Photo by Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Costa Rica’s Fire Department said it rescued 48-year-old marine biologist Mauricio Hoyos on Saturday at remote Cocos Island, about 340 miles off the Pacific coast.
  • He was transported to the capital over roughly 36 hours and arrived at a San José hospital on Monday in stable condition despite serious injuries.
  • Fire Department physician Luis Fernández said Hoyos was tagging sharks for monitoring when one estimated at about 4 meters turned and bit him on the head.
  • Authorities reported injuries to his head, face and arms sustained during the scientific operation at the UNESCO-listed national park.
  • Hoyos was leading an expedition affiliated with the One Ocean Worldwide Coalition, and partner groups such as Fins Attached emphasized that incidents like this are extremely rare.