A Chinese woman named Li, who participated in a "Mermaid Competition", suffered a shark bite during training at an aquarium. She was later assessed as having a 10th-degree disability. Following the incident, Li sued the aquarium and its management. According to a report by NetEase News, the "Mermaid Competition" is a performance competition based on a points system, with four to five events annually. The top three contestants can qualify for the World Mermaid Competition, which Li found very appealing.
Li successfully qualified for the competition and decided to train before the June 18, 2023, event in Kunming. She went to the Sunac Sea World in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, for simulated underwater training. After purchasing tickets, she entered the water for training. About an hour later, safety personnel on the shore signaled for her to exit the water, stating that they needed to feed the fish and she could re-enter afterward. As Li was ascending to the surface, a shark suddenly approached from her right rear, biting her right hand and wrist.
Luckily, Li was aware of shark behavior and knew that their heads are sensitive. She gently tapped the shark's head, eyes, and gill slits, managing to escape. She then pushed the shark away with her arm. Li noted that sharks have poor vision, equivalent to about 800 degrees of nearsightedness, and might have mistaken her moving arm for food or been startled, leading it to bite.
Li quickly exited the water but suffered severe injuries, with deep wounds exposing bone and significant blood loss. Medical examination revealed that her radial artery, radial vein, and tendons in her right hand were almost completely severed. She underwent a five-hour surgery and received over 100 stitches. In October 2024, due to unresolved compensation issues, Li took the "Sipadan Diving" facility to court.
The Binhu District People's Court in Wuxi ruled that the diving operation was 70% responsible for the incident, while Li bore 30% of the responsibility. She was awarded 137,241 yuan in compensation. The court stated that before diving, staff had informed her of safety precautions and had her sign a "Diving Safety Responsibility Commitment". As an adult with full civil capacity and a diving certification, Li was deemed to have failed to observe her surroundings and fulfill her reasonable safety obligations, thus should bear corresponding responsibility.
The court added that operators of public venues like hotels, shopping malls, banks, stations, airports, sports venues, and entertainment venues who fail to fulfill their safety obligations and cause harm should bear liability for infringement. However, Li expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict, stating that this was a nationwide first case and the accident was primarily due to the operator's negligence. She emphasized that she did not provoke the shark and believed the incident could have been avoided. Li hopes the other party will cover all her medical expenses and has decided to appeal the decision.
