Misleading: Man Injured in Shark Attack in Egypt’s North Coast

MENA: The Misbar team investigated the claim closely through the local Egyptian media. Initially, there were some reports of a shark attack, and that authorities are still expected to investigate. A 58-year-old named Tarek from the area did receive treatment for a hand laceration. However, the official investigation revealed that while someone did get injured, it was not by a shark. 

The Ministry of Environment released a statement on their official Facebook page, where the minister, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, refuted the shark attack claim.  She said that a committee was formed to investigate and confirmed that it was not a shark attack. Doctors treating the patient also noted that the wound was more like a sharp object and did not meet the globally documented nature for shark attacks. Fouad added that the Egyptian north coasts are safe from shark attack incidents and continuously monitor the shores. The full statement can be seen below, translated from Arabic.

While the Mediterranean sea is thought to be home to 47 shark species, they are rarely ever seen. Shark attacks are sporadic, and by nature, sharks do not attack for no reason. Moreover, the shark population in the Mediterranean is on the decline due to overfishing and pollution. 

Earlier, a similar claim of a video of the same alleged shark attack was misleading and outdated by Misbar Arabic. Given the findings, it can be confirmed that this claim is also misleading. While someone was injured, it was not due to a shark attack.