Panic on Majorca beach after shark injures tourist

A SHARK brought panic to a packed Majorca beach after it injured a tourist on Saturday.

Swimmers were ordered to leave the water at Estanys beach in Colonia de Sant Jordi, and a red flag was hoisted to ban bathing.

A man said to be a foreign visitor was left with cuts and scratches after the 6ft shark’s rough skin brushed against his arm, but he escaped without being bitten, according to local media. Horrified families enjoying a swim or paddle in the sea ran back to the beach when the alarm was raised.

Lifeguards tried to coax the shark back to deeper water using an aqua scooter. It is reported to have ‘disappeared towards a cove’.

The encounter on Saturday is the third time a shark has been seen off Majorca in the past few weeks. Hot weather and tides have been blamed. Another theory is that the shark was sick or disorientated.