On March 24th, a Russian woman was bitten by a shark on a beach in Cancun, Mexico. According to a report that has appeared in various news sources, including The Canadian Press, a lifeguard on the scene claimed that the victim was attacked after ignoring warnings to stay out of the water. The lifeguard is also reported as having said that the victim was 100m from shore, and that he warned swimmers to stay out of the waters due to the possible presence of sharks.

Last week, a friend of the victim, who identified the woman involved in the attack as 26-year-old Luibov (Luba) Teran, contacted The Dorsal Fin with concern that the news articles featuring claims that Teran ignored warnings were being disputed by eyewitnesses who were on the scene when the attack occurred. A Cancun discussion forum featured comments from at least two eyewitnesses, who claimed that no warnings about staying out of the water were issued on the beach before the attack.

The Dorsal Fin was able to get in touch with Andreas Buchholz who was at the beach when the attack occurred and had been at the beach throughout the week leading up to the day of the incident. Buchholz said the claim that the victim ignored warnings to stay out of the water is “absolutely not true,” and that they were never warned to stay out of the water prior to the attack.

Additionally, an Expediente Quintana Roo article states that the attack occurred approximately 10m from shore and includes photographs of sharks which appear to be in close proximity to the beach.

At the time The Dorsal Fin was initially contacted, Teran was recovering in Cancun General hospital and required surgery to save her leg, according to her friend.