Man airlifted from angling boat off Waterford coast after sustaining shark bite 12.08.2026

A man was rescued from a fishing boat off the coast of Waterford on Tuesday after suffering a shark bite. The Coast Guard received a report that a male on board the vessel had a leg injury from a shark bite, believed to be from a blue shark averaging around three meters in length. The incident occurred as the man attempted to control the shark after pulling it on board. The rescue effort, coordinated by Dublin Coast Guard at around 4.15pm, involved Ballycotton RNLI, Youghal RNLI, and an Irish Coast Guard helicopter. The Ballycotton RNLI's all-weather lifeboat, The Austin Lidbury, launched at 4.30pm and arrived on scene at approximately 5.10pm, where Youghal RNLI and Rescue 117 were already present. The casualty was winched from the vessel by Rescue 117 and transferred to Cork University Hospital for emergency evacuation. The remaining four people on board the five-meter pleasure boat did not require assistance, and the vessel returned safely to Dungarvan. Eolan Walsh, the coxswain on duty, praised the well-coordinated multi-agency response and wished the casualty a full recovery. Dr. Nicholas Payne, a marine biologist at Trinity College Dublin, noted that while such incidents are very uncommon, blue sharks are frequently found in Irish waters from April to November. He emphasized that blue sharks are not aggressive but require careful handling due to their size and teeth.














