26-year-old Maria Fernandez Martinez Jimenez, former student of marine biology at the University of Guadalajara, who lived in the western state of Jalisco has been killed in the process of trying to save her 5 year old daughter from drowning in the Mexico’s Pacific Ocean.
Sources say that she was in the ocean with her daughter when she noticed a shark in the water and rushed to move the girl onto a floating play platform located 75 feet from the shore.
Jimenez was reported to have been swimming off the Mexico’s pacific coast when the shark gripped its jaws around her leg near the hip.
Reports say that despite a quick intervention by rescuers, the deceased died after losing much blood from the massive wound sustained from the shark. However, the daughter is said to have escaped the incident unharmed following her mother’s assistance.
Meanwhile, according to Civil Protection officials in the municipality of Cihuatlan, the unfortunate incident happened while a swimming race was ongoing.
“Our officials were carrying out support activities during a swimming event in the bay when they received reports of a person who was having problems getting out of the sea,” the statement read. “When they reached the area they discovered a woman who was lifeless with one of her legs amputated, apparently following a shark attack.”
