Australian woman bitten by unknown marine animal in Phuket

PHUKET, September 2 - (TNA) -- An Australian woman was reported to have been bitten by an unidentified sea creature yesterday afternoon in Thailand's southern resort island of Phuket. Village Chief of Karon subdistrict in Phuket provincial seat, Winai Chitkiao has informed the press that an Australian national, identified as Ms Japne Neame, 37, was bitten by an unknown marine animal on the heel and under her left foot, leaving a large wound that bled profusely. The victim was immediately taken to the local Patong Hospital for primary checkups before forwarding her to the provincial Dee Buk Hospital for further diagnosis and examinations. Authorities said the incident took place at around 10 am while Ms Neame was enjoying a swim at the Karon Beach, which is located opposite from the Kraon Provincial Police Station. After being bitten, she cried for help, which caused a slight panic amongst the sunbathers, whom were enjoying the sun along the 3-kilometre long beach at the time. Authorities are still unable to identify what type of marine animal could have caused the wounds and noted that experts must be called in to inspect the wound to figure out what kind of sea creature could have caused such injury. Ms Neame was later sent to the Bangkok-Phuket Hospital by the physicians at the Dee Buk Hospital as the wounds are quite severe. An inquiry of the Head of the Marine Endangered Species Unit (MESU) under the Phuket Marine Biological Centre, Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong said that from the pictures taken of the wounds, it could be surmised from the shape of the teeth on the wounds that sharks have inflicted them. Dr Kongkiat further noted that the victim has received two bites, one on the heel and one underneath her foot, which signifies that it is a double bite. Nonetheless, the marine animal expert said he would forward the pictures to experts in Bangkok to thoroughly confirm whether the wounds were created by shark bites or not. Such situation rarely happens in the popular resort island of Phuket, but if the pictures prove that the would were inflicted by sharks, the MESU would send a letter to the Phuket Provincial Office to warn tourists of the situation while enjoying themselves in the water. (TNA)