A fisherman was bitten by a shark near the coast of the southeastern Mexican state of Tabasco July 7.
Andres Ovando Rodriguez was off municipality of Cardenas, near the port town of Sanchez Magallanes when he hooked a large mako shark around 1 p.m.
The 32-year-old man reeled in the 220-pound (100kg), 6-foot (2m) shark and pulled it alongside the boat. While his fishing companions held the shark by its gills, Rodriguez grabbed a line and tried to pull the shark on board.
As he went to put a line on the shark near its head, it grabbed his right hand. Rodriguez was afraid the shark was trying to pull him into the sea and pried open its jaws enough to remove his hand.
While he was looking after his hand, a fishing partner cut the fishing line and released the shark.
The group headed into shore where Rodriguez, who is the father of three, received a total of 40 internal and external stitches to sew up his wound.
There have been a total of 58* shark attack bites in 2017, 5 of which were fatal*; 27 were reported in the US, with 19 occurring in Florida** and one in Hawaii. Nine occurred in Australia, one of which was fatal and one with no injury. Three unconfirmed worldwide and not included in the total count
All locations have been marked on the 2017 Shark Attack Bites Tracking Map.
*Two may be scavenge **One report may have been outside of Florida waters.
