A snorkeler attacked by a shark off the UK coast was left with a leg injury and had to be taken to hospital, the coastguard says.

The victim was met by a rescue team at Penzance Harbour in Cornwall on Thursday after the suspected shark bite.

Shark attacks in UK waters are rare, and this would be the first report of an injury since 2018.

A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: “HM Coastguard sent Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team to meet a snorkeller who suffered a suspected shark bite.

“The coastguard was notified just before 12.30pm on Thursday 28 July. It is believed the swimmer suffered a leg injury.

“The coastguard team met the casualty at Penzance harbour to assist with passing them into the care of the ambulance service.”

Read more: How public plea helped British scientists uncover shark’s secrets

Tinder profile showing half-naked man with police hat is not an officer, force confirms

Tinder profile showing half-naked man in police equipment being investigated by officers

Cornwall: Dairy giant fined record £1.5m for dumping illegal levels of sewage into river

The local ambulance trust confirmed that paramedics were called to an incident on the coast at Penzance, and a patient was taken to hospital in Truro.

In 2018, a fisherman was bitten on the leg by a shark after hauling the animal on to his boat off the coast of Cornwall.

Related posts:

UK records another drop in COVID infections as number of first jabs hits 22.2 million Boy, 17, killed after ‘metal pole touched electrical line’ in Lancashire Man charged over online racial abuse of Premier League footballer ‘Houses were shaking’: Neighbours in disbelief over fatal explosion in Lancashire street Four arrested over video ‘showing antisemitic abuse being shouted from car in north London’ Three quarters of under-50s in hospital with COVID are unvaccinated, figures reveal Stranded British travellers face spending Christmas in COVID quarantine hotels France rejects Boris Johnson’s call for joint British-French patrols in the Channel ‘The system is so unjust’: Police should be compelled to tell truth by law, bereaved families say Flood alerts in place as UK faces wet and wintry weekend Rishi Sunak asks PM to refer him to adviser on ministers’ interests Heathrow says it is ‘stretched’ as it races to hire 12,000 new staff