A TOURIST has been killed following a suspected animal attack off the coast of Mexico.
The victim, a Belgian man, is believed to have been mauled by either a shark or a crocodile in the Pacific resort of Playa Quieta, Guerrero.
A woman, 52, from Los Angeles was also attacked and rushed to the hospital, per Mexico News Daily.
Officials revealed that both the man and the woman were attacked in the legs by the creature.
Emergency crews were scrambled to the beach and frantically tried to save the man’s life but their efforts were unsuccessful, as reported by El Pais.
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The woman was taken to the hospital after suffering bite injuries.
Her current condition remains unknown. It’s not known if the man and the woman know each other.
Randy Suastegui Cebero, of the Guerrero state government, revealed an operation was launched following the suspected attacks.
National Guard forces and local authorities were involved in the hunt for the animal, per Milenio.
The beach was closed and purple flags had been put up, warning swimmers.
The latest attack comes just weeks after Maria Fernandez Martinez Jimenez was killed in an animal attack.
Jimenez was mauled just 65 feet from the shore when she was attacked at Melaque Beach, Jalisco.
Officials revealed she lost a lot of blood after being bitten near her hip.
She was trying to save her daughter at the time of the attack.
It was initially thought that she died in a shark attack, but it has been reported that she may have been the victim of a crocodile attack.
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Locals have claimed that there haven’t been reports of sharks stalking swimmers and beachgoers in the area.
Jimenez, 26, was a former marine biology student at the University of Guadalajara.
Marine biologists have speculated that the cause of shark attacks is linked to mistaken identity.
“It is extremely unlikely for swimmers and surfers to be bitten – or even encounter – sharks," Lauren Gaches, of the NOAA Fisheries Public Affairs, told CBS News.
The U.S. Sun reported surfer Kevin Kanehe was attacked by a tiger shark off the coast of Hawaii in October.
Kanehe revealed that he almost lost his leg in the attack but managed to stave off the beast by sticking his finger in its nostril.
His wife Deanna documented the extent of his injuries on a GoFundMe page that was set up.
She said: “The bite went to the bone above and below his knee, taking some chips off his femur, knee cap and tibia."
Kanehe’s right-hand ring and pinky fingers were also sliced open in the vicious attack, Deanna said.
Doctors believe that it could take a year for Kanehe to recover from his injuries.
