A lifeguard at Playa de Palma reported an unprecedented incident where an 85-year-old woman suffered a severe fish bite to her left calf whilst swimming in shallow waters on Tuesday afternoon. The incident, which resulted in significant bleeding, prompted an immediate emergency response and temporary beach closure.
Martina, the attending lifeguard, described the shocking encounter: "The victim explained something had bitten her near the shoreline. I'd never seen anything like this on this beach before - neither bites nor lacerations of this kind". The situation was particularly concerning as the elderly swimmer was taking anticoagulant medication, which exacerbated the bleeding.
"The first-aid kit wasn't equipped to handle such a severe wound", Martina explained, prompting her to immediately request ambulance assistance. The patient was swiftly transported to Clinica Rotger in Palma for treatment.
The unusual incident drew considerable attention from beachgoers, requiring crowd control measures. "We had to maintain order as many people were gathering around without purpose", the lifeguard stated. Following the incident, a red flag was raised from approximately 12.15pm to 2.30pm, prohibiting swimming whilst allowing visitors to remain on the beach.