On December 2, 2023, at Melaque Beach near Manzanillo, Mexico, a shark attack resulted in the death of a 26-year-old woman.
The victim, identified as Maria Fernandez Martinez Jimenez, was in the water with her five-year-old daughter at a coastal aquatic park when the attack occurred.
Eyewitnesses reported that the shark bit Jimenez’s upper leg as she was moving towards a play platform approximately 75 feet from the shore. Heroically, she managed to secure her daughter on the platform, who fortunately was unharmed.
The incident prompted an immediate reaction from those at the beach and local officials. Despite their first aid efforts, Jimenez passed away due to extensive blood loss from a massive bite wound on her hip, which led to her leg being severed.
Subsequently, a video depicting the scene after the attack at Melaque Beach surfaced on social media, showing Jimenez lying on the sand after being carried out of the water by rescuers.
Following the incident, authorities in Melaque and Barra de Navidad closed nearby beaches and issued safety advisories.
The University of Guadalajara, Jimenez’s alma mater where she studied marine biology, mourned her loss, emphasizing her affinity for the ocean.