Missing Man Found in Shark's Stomach Identified by His Tattoos
An arm found inside a shark stomach has been identified as belonging to a missing Argentine man thanks to his tattoos.
Diego Barría, a 32-year-old father of three, had been missing since February 18.
He texted his wife, Virginia Brugger, saying he would be late coming home. However, he never arrived and didn't respond to any further text messages or phone calls.
Not long after his disappearance, a wrecked quad bike was found near a beach in the Patagonian province of Chubut, in southern Argentina.
On February 26, two fishermen caught three school sharks off the coast of Caleta Olivia, and made a gruesome discovery.
While they were dissecting the sharks, they found the remains of a forearm. A tattoo of a green and red rose was used to identify the arm as belonging to Barría, although an official DNA test is yet to be carried.
Alongside the arm, the fishermen found the remains of skin and other human flesh.
The school shark, also known as the tope shark, snapper shark, and soupfin shark, is found in waters worldwide. It grows to an average of 6 feet long. Attacks from the species are incredibly rare.
Authorities are conducting an investigation into the incident as it is not certain how Barría came to be in the water.
Superintendent Cristian Ansaldo told local media outlets that searches for the man are continuing.
Although the cause of the incident is not certain, one possibility is that Barría had been riding the quad bike when it crashed in a rock. His body then could have been carried to sea, where it was eaten by the shark.
"But we are going to handle all the possible hypotheses with the evidence found at the site," Ansaldo said."The vehicle will be analyzed to establish how the accident happened, because the vehicle was found further towards the coast, but it could have been moved by the waves."
His wife has taken to social media during the incident.
"Turn up, please. I'm strong for the kids but I don't know until when. don't be rebellious, give us a sign!!!" she wrote on her Facebook page.
Sharks feed primarily on smaller fish and invertebrates. It is very rare for them to eat humans but as they are opportunistic feeders, it has been known to happen.
Most attacks on humans occur when sharks approach them out of curiosity, or mistake them for their usual prey.
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