Freediver Cristian Castaño, a member of the Colombian national team in this discipline, is recovering on Wednesday from several injuries sustained the day before in a shark attack near the island of San Andrés in the Caribbean.
Castaño, 38, posted a photo on his Instagram account showing him with bandages on both his hands and one of his legs.
“You should see what the shark looks like,” the athlete quipped about the image.
According to Coralina, the environmental authority of the Colombian archipelago of San Andrés and Providencia, the victim was practicing apnea with other divers when they were “surprised by several whitetip sharks (also called oceanic sharks, Editor’s note), which frequent deep areas”.
“One of the sharks bit one of the divers” out of curiosity, the organization said, but “the situation did not escalate thanks to the quick reaction of the Coralina staff who were in the area and managed to help the divers”.
The injured diver was conscious and “was able to use his own physical and motor skills during the rescue”.
SEE ALSO – United States, Norway: the winners of the Women’s World Cup
Castaño holds the second best Colombian record in the constant weight category, of 98 meters at sea without an oxygen cylinder, and the third in static apnea, with 5 minutes and 27 seconds while holding his breath.
Clarence Lynd Newball Hospital, where Castaño was taken after reaching dry land, said he had “multiple injuries to his upper limbs and right lower limb.”
The wounds were sutured “without any complications” and he was discharged from the hospital in the evening, said Jainer Méndez, head of the emergency department.
Last year, an Italian tourist died in San Andrés after being attacked by a shark while swimming near a cliff.
In April, Coralina issued a warning against tour operators dumping pig carcasses into the sea to attract sharks and offer sightings near the island.
