Among those injured in the timed attack of the predatory fish, 13-year-old who lost her toe • Authorities who closed the beach for bathing believe it was debris left in the river that brought the fish to the scene • Local rescuer: “We saw what damage these fish can do”
Human beings including a 13-year-old girl were injured in a horrific attack of piranha fish on a river in Argentina. The girl who was bitten by the predatory fish lost her toe and was rushed to emergency surgery at the hospital, where she was implanted with skin on the affected area. Argentina has banned entry to the river amid difficult events. A similar incident occurred at Christmas 2013, when 60 bathers were injured in the same river, and of the same type of piranha.
The popular river where the attack took place is called the Septobal Lagoon. The lake is located on the sides of Argentina, it is about 300 km from the capital Buenos Aires. The rescuers immediately called the rescue forces, to help those who were seriously injured. All this while calling on people who continued swimming to get out of the water.
According to Sergio Barardi, a representative of the local lifeguard association, the reason for the attack is the water temperature which has become particularly high, along with the declining water level. But there is another speculation that the large amount of debris left in the water brought the fish to the site. His fish attributed to the attack is the “cousin” of the piranha fish, and he is called Palomates.
“When rescuers saw one of the bathers being bitten, they automatically ordered the other people to get out of the water. Apparently this operation was not effective enough because of the amount of people in the area,” Bardi said. “We ran into the water to deal with all the dozens injured at the same time. The piranha fish live in flocks so the attack is also common. It is very important to obey the rescuers’ instructions, especially among families with children. Now we have seen what damage these fish can do.”