British woman Rachel Smith, 26, was reportedly bitten by a shark off Rose Hall Beach in Montego Bay on May 8.
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Prince Moore reports
A holidaymaker was forced to fly home for emergency surgery after she was reportedly bitten by a shark off Rose Hall Beach in Montego Bay on May 8.
According to the Sun UK News, 26-year-old Rachel Smith was paddling in hip-height water off Rose Hall Beach when the sea creature snapped at her left hand.
It's reported that she was terrified to see her ring finger hanging off and blood was pouring from the wound.
Another 28-year-old sister Lisa Smith saw a metre-long shark darting away and led Rachel to safety while shouting out a warning to other holiday makers enjoying a morning paddle.
According to the Sun UK News, Rachel, a pharmacologist, was taken to hospital in an ambulance and medics said she needed plastic surgery.
But with no surgeon available for two weeks, the pair cut their holiday short and flew to to Cork, Ireland where their parents live.
Doctors confirmed that the tendons and nerves in Rachel's ring and little fingers were ruptured and the ligaments in her ring finger had been disconnected. She underwent emergency surgery and hopes to regain full movement in 18 months' time.
Lisa, a procurement specialist and Rachel, both from Newham, London, said they have been having frequent nightmares since the attack.
The close sisters holiday together each year and had arrived at the Hilton Rose Hall Hotel on May 5 intending to stay for two weeks.
Rachel was attacked around 10 a.m. and the sisters say the shark knocked both of them backwards after hitting them with its body.
The sisters say the flag on the beach was raised, indicating it was safe to swim.
Doctors confirmed the bite was likely to belong to a reef shark.
The pair were initially taken to a private hospital where they were asked to pay US$2,000 to have the wounds stitched and quoted US$25,000 for further surgery.
They transferred to a public hospital before heading home for surgery at Cork University Hospital.
The sisters say they had to pay for ambulance and travel taxi to hospitals in Jamaica and to get a fit-to-fly certificate to go home totalling nearly US$500.
Rachel complained that the private hospital was only concerned about getting the payment before stopping the bleeding.
Lisa said Rachel was bitten inside an area cordoned off by a rope as safe to swim.
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