SÃO PAULO — Thousands of flesh-eating piranhas have infested a river beach popular with tourists in western Brazil and have bitten at least 15 unwary swimmers, authorities said Wednesday.
Officials in the city of Caceres in Mato Grosso state said this is the first time they have had a problem with piranhas at Daveron beach on the Paraguay river.
Elson de Campos Pinto, 22, was bitten Sunday. “I took a dip in the river, and when I stood up, I felt pain in my foot,” Pinto said. “I saw that I had lost the tip of my toe. I took off running out of the river, afraid that I would be further attacked because of the blood. I’m not going back in for a long time.”
Officials said the beach will stay open because it’s an important draw for tourists.
The Associated Press
