Berkhamsted man "stable" after brutal shark attack on Caribbean island holiday

A Berkhamsted man being treated in hospital after a shark attack is in now said to be in a stable condition.

Peter Smith, from Berkhamsted, was holidaying on the Caribbean island of Tabago when he was attacked by a large bull shark on Friday.

The 64-year-old is in intensive care at the island’s Scarborough General Hospital where, his wife told media, doctors are deciding on a future course of treatment.

It’s reported the dad-of-two has had some fingers reattached and has suffered injuries to his left arm and leg as well as puncture wounds to his torso.

According to his wife, Mr Smith is aware what’s happening and is now able to communicate.

She has thanked those who helped her husband, including two people who stayed in the water to fight off the shark.

It is said to have been roaming some 10 metres from the shore on Turtle Beach where the couple were relaxing.

Island officials estimate the shark to be between eight and 10 feet and around two feet wide.

“Nobody saw it coming,” one onlooker was reported saying.

The Tabagonion Government has closed beaches in the area which is currently under surveillance.

A government official said there was a $10,000 reward for the shark’s capture but it had been retracted.

Bull sharks – named for their short snout and a tendency to headbutt victims before attacking - are known to be aggressive, and live near tropical coastlines. Because of this, they are classed among Great w

Whites and Tiger sharks as the species most likely to attack humans.