Fisherman killed in shark attack off Sonora coast

A 22-year-old man was killed by a shark last Friday while diving for scallops off the coast of Sonora, Civil Protection authorities said.

The attack occurred in the Gulf of California near Playa Tojahui, a beach in the municipality of Huatabampo.

Images shared to social media showed medical teams at the dockside. (Eco1_LVM/X)

The victim, identified as Víctor Alejandro Soto García, was attacked by a great white shark and sustained a severe wound to his left leg, according to reports.

“The body of the young man was taken by his fishermen colleagues to the pier in Yavaros,” the Sonora Civil Protection agency CEPC said.

Yavaros is a fishing town about 20 kilometers southeast of the city of Huatabampo.

The CEPC said that the victim was a free-diving fisherman and wasn’t wearing a shark-repellant bracelet. State authorities last year distributed around 100 such bracelets to fisherman.

According to a report by the El Financiero newspaper, five fishermen were killed by sharks while diving for scallops off the coast of Sonora in 2022 and 2023.

The latest attack came just four weeks after a 26-year-old woman was killed by a shark while swimming at a beach in southern Jalisco.

A 76-year-old Belgian man died last month after he was attacked by either a shark or a crocodile at a beach in Ixtapa, Guerrero. Local officials issued a crocodile warning last week after videos of one wading in the surf and swimming near another beach in Ixtapa went viral.

With reports from El Financiero and AP 

5 COMMENTS

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
corn growing

Women farmers in Oaxaca, Guerrero report catastrophic drought

0
Two farming associations called on state and federal authorities to declare a climate emergency in drought-affected areas of Oaxaca and Guerrero and establish programs aimed at guaranteeing food sovereignty and supporting female farmers.
Navy at-sea bust

The Mexican Navy’s at-sea cocaine seizures are up nearly 50% this year

0
The Navy announced that it has seized 37.9 tonnes of cocaine so far this year compared to 25.7 tonnes in 2025, and has also confiscated dozens of vessels linked to illicit activity and arrested more than 80 suspects.
Mexico flag flying high from the Zócalo

State of democracy improved in Mexico in 2025 as region showed signs of deterioration

1
According to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), Mexico's score improved in the categories of rule of law and participation; however, it remains among the bottom-scoring countries in three out of the four categories measured.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity