WARNING – GRAPHIC DETAIL: A woman named as Ms Li is now suing an aquarium in China after she was attacked and tried to fight off the shark while performing in a mermaid competition
The moment a woman was attacked by a shark while performing in a mermaid competition and had her army nearly ripped off has been caught on camera. The victim, named as Ms Li, is now suing the aquarium in Jiangsu, China, for compensation after doctors said that she has lost the ability to use her hand after the incident on June 12, 2023.
A video shows her swimming in the aquarium while training to take part in a “Mermaid Contest” when the shark suddenly bites her. She quickly swims to the surface covered in blood and she was rushed to hospital where she underwent a five-hour operation. She needed more than 100 stitches and was diagnosed with a grade 10 disability as a tendon, a radial artery, and a radial vein were all severed.
Ms Li told local media on March 31 that she had signed up for the China Mermaid Open which is a performance competition with a points system. There are four to five competitions a year, and the ranking is calculated based on the total score.
READ MORE: Dog owners can get 20% off these super comfy pet beds – but not for long
She said: “If you enter the top three, you may also qualify for the World Mermaid Competition, which offers very attractive prizes.” In 2023, she successfully entered the competition and wanted to do some training at the “Sipadan Diving” in Wuxi Sunac Sea World.
Ms Li had made a short break while a staff member fed the sharks and then returned into the water. However, one shark was apparently still hungry and as Ms Li was floating towards the surface, it approached from her right side and bit her arm.
She believes that the shark had poor eyesight and may have mistaken her arm for fish food or may have just been frightened and she had to fight off the predator by poking it in its eyes until it let go of her.
Ms Li suffered a wound so deep that her bone was exposed and medics recovered a shark tooth during surgery.
Earlier this month (March 2025), she returned to hospital where she was treated and had a check-up. Although she is recovering well, Ms Li said she has barely any feeling left in her hand and after failing to reach an arrangement with the aquarium regarding compensation, she filed a complaint against them.
The Binhu District People’s Court of Wuxi City ruled that the operator of the diving project was ordered to bear 70 per cent of the responsibility, and Ms Li was responsible for 30 per cent. The court ruled that Ms Li had signed a waiver and had a diving licence, and failed to observe her surroundings enough to ensure her safety.
But the aquarium was also found guilty of failing to meet safety standards. The Sipadan Company, which operates the aquarium, was ordered to compensate the mermaid to the tune of £14,342.
Ms Li said that this case is the first of its kind in the country and that the main cause of the accident was negligence on the part of the operator.
She was not satisfied with the verdict as she had not teased the shark. She said: “This accident could have been avoided.
“I just hope that the other party can bear all my medical expenses.” She plans to appeal.