Dolphin attacks swimmer leaving him with broken ribs, bite marks

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A swimmer in his 60s suffered from broken ribs after being struck by a dolphin in shallow waters on Sunday, July 16, at Suishohama Beach in Fukui Prefecture in Mihama. He was not alone; three other swimmers were injured in dolphin attacks on the beach in central Japan.

The 60-year-old man sustained three or four broken ribs and had bite marks on his hands after a dolphin rammed him a few metres off the beach. The man was swimming 5 meters offshore with a friend when the dolphin lunged, according to the Tsuruga Police Station.

On the same morning, another man in his 40s sustained arm bites. According to The Asahi Shimbun report, the beach is popular with visitors and frequented by people from the area and outside the prefecture in summer.

According to local police, Fukui has experienced six similar attacks this year. Authorities urge people to avoid contact with the dolphins to ensure their safety. Furthermore, Fukui Prefecture witnessed a series of dolphin bites involving beachgoers last year.