Incident Report
Tiger Shark Bites Surfer's Leg off Recife, Brazil
Recife, Pernambuco·Brazil
A 25-year-old surfer was attacked by a tiger shark estimated at 2-2.5 meters while sitting on his board 70 meters offshore in Recife, Brazil. The shark bit his right lower leg, causing severe muscle and tendon damage and a fractured fibula before the surfer paddled to safety.
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Incident Profile
Circumstances
Environmental
Individual
Location
Description
On the morning of March 1, 1994, a 25-year-old medical student named Albano Gomes Dias Filho paddled out to Acaiaca, one of Recife's most popular surfing beaches in Pernambuco, Brazil. The conditions appeared favorable for an early morning surf session—he entered the water at approximately 6:45 AM, positioning himself on his yellow, scarlet, and turquoise surfboard about 70 meters from shore in 2.5 meters of water. Without warning, a large tiger shark estimated between 2.0 and 2.5 meters in length charged from below the surface. The shark struck suddenly, seizing the surfer's right lower leg and attempting to drag him from his board. The violence of the attack, combined with the surfer's seated position on the board and the shark's inability to secure a purchase on both sides of his body, prevented the shark from successfully pulling him underwater. Despite the severity of the strike, Albano maintained his grip on his surfboard and began paddling back to shore. As the shark released its hold, it caused progressive lacerations along his leg from the slow withdrawal of its teeth. The bite caused significant soft tissue damage, rupturing muscles and tendons, and fracturing his fibula. The surfer successfully reached the beach and received medical treatment. A 2.5-millimeter tooth fragment recovered from his leg provided definitive species identification, confirming a tiger shark (*Galeocerdo cuvieri*) was responsible for the attack. This incident remains one of Brazil's documented shark attacks and underscores the inherent risks present in open ocean recreation, even during daylight hours at popular beaches.