Man's leg is mauled by shark during pleasure boat fishing trip off Ireland

Published: 16:22, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 16:25, 12 August 2026 A man was mauled by a shark on the south coast of Ireland while on a fishing trip on a pleasure boat.  Five people were on board the small boat when the animal bit the man on Tuesday at around 4.16pm. Emergency services rushed to the five-metre boat off the Waterford coast, having received reports a man's leg had been bitten by a shark. The victim was winched by a helicopter and taken to Cork University Hospital, where it is understood he is still being treated.  None of the remaining people on board the fishing boat were injured.   A spokesperson for the Department of Transport in Ireland told the Daily Mail: 'At approximately 4.15pm yesterday the Irish Coast Guard's Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) in Dublin were alerted by a 999/112 call to an incident on board a small fishing vessel south of Ardmore, Co. Waterford.  'The report was that a male on board the fishing vessel had a leg injury inflicted by a bite from a shark.  'The Coast Guard's Waterford-based helicopter, Rescue 117, was tasked to the scene as well as the Ballycotton Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) all weather lifeboat and the Youghal RNLI inshore lifeboat.  A man was mauled by a shark on the south coast of Ireland while on a pleasure boat fishing trip (stock photo) A man who was bitten by a shark in Ireland was winched by a helicopter and taken to Cork University Hospital (stock photo) 'The male casualty was winched on board Rescue 117 and taken to Cork University Hospital and handed over into the care of the HSE.' Eolan Walsh, who was the coxswain (the person in charge of the boat) on duty, said the group was out on a 'pleasure fishing trip'.  Mr Walsh, who has worked with the RNLI for around three decades, said it was the first time he had been called to an incident involving a shark bite.    People jumped to social media platform Reddit after the incident, with one commenting: 'It was a Blue Shark, caught by mistake.  'Bit a lad while the crew was trying to free it. Guy who was bit is doing OK.'  It is not the first time a person has been bitten by a shark off the Irish coast.  In 2018, a man from Belfast was bitten by a Blue Shark while reeling in the animal on to his fishing boat.  He suffered severe injuries to his lower arm.