Tourist suffers horrific injuries after shark attack on Galapagos

A tourist was seriously injured after being attacked by a shark while swimming in the Galapagos Islands.

Delia Yriarte, a 42-year-old nurse, was on vacation at the famous islands when she was attacked.

“I felt like a blow. I didn’t realize what it was at first, but since I was swimming I felt my leg go numb,” Yriarte told local Ecuadorian media. “When I turned around I saw that there was blood.”

Captured on camera, the aftermath of the shark attack revealed a few people carefully lifting Yriarte onto a dinghy, her leg tightly wrapped in a bid to stem the bleeding.

According to a statement by the Ecuadorian Navy, the injured tourist was swiftly airlifted from Puerto Ayora on the Santa Cruz Island to San Cristóbal Island. From there, she took a military plane to the city of Guayaquil, ensuring uninterrupted medical care and treatment.

Yriarte described how the sudden nature of the attack left her brain unable to process the pain in real-time. She endured five tendon tears and underwent an extensive procedure of 100 sutures on her leg. The severity of the injury also required grafts to address the tissue loss. The victim also said there is a high likelihood of undergoing additional surgeries in the future.

From San Jose, California, Yriarte is a single mother to a 15-year-old daughter. In the wake of the incident, her loved ones rallied together, creating a GoFundMe page to support her in covering the medical costs and travel expenses associated with her recovery.

Yriarte has also been in close contact with the U.S. consulate, who have been working on arrangements for her safe return home. While ongoing therapy is imperative for her leg’s complete restoration, doctors hold an optimistic outlook, assuring her that she will regain the ability to walk. However, the process may require several months of dedicated effort.

Yriarte says she is “lucky to be alive”.

Located a thousand kilometers from the Ecuadorian coast, the Galapagos archipelago is a captivating wildlife haven in the heart of the Pacific Ocean. Diving enthusiasts often flock to this pristine sanctuary to witness the majestic presence of hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, whale sharks, and blacktip sharks, among other marine creatures.

According to Discovering Galapagos, more than 150,000 tourists visit the idyllic destination each year. 

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