British father-of-two, 64, left fighting for his life after horror shark attack is in a 'critical but stable' condition after beast savaged him while swimming

A British tourist is in a 'critical, but stable' condition with his wife remaining by his side as he recovers in intensive care following a horrific shark attack in the Carribean.

Retired IT worker Peter Smith, 64, from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, was mauled by a deadly bull shark just hours before he was due to fly home from his holiday on the island of Tobago with his wife Joanna.

The attack happened 10 metres off the shore near the Starfish Hotel in Courland Bay, on the north coast of Tobago, on Friday morning.

The father-of-two sustained injuries to his left hand, left thigh and stomach following the attack involving a bull shark estimated to be eight to 10 feet long and two feet wide, the Tobago House of Assembly said.

Tobago chief secretary Farley Augustine told the PA news agency that Mr Smith was in a 'critical, but stable' condition at Scarborough General Hospital on Saturday after surgery had taken place.

He said the man had been holidaying on the island with his wife and friends and had been due to fly home that day.

Mr Augustine added that the local government was working closely with the British High Commission.

The Foreign Office said it was supporting the family.

Several beaches and coastal areas were closed following the incident.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, authorities offered a $10,000 (£8,000) bounty to anyone who could capture the shark, but this was later retracted.

Neighbours of Mr Smith on his leafy residential street today described the incident as 'horrific and traumatic' and said there were shocked to find out about the 'tragic' incident on their local WhatsApp group last night.

A friend of the couple, who said Mr Smith was now retired, told MailOnline: 'We know them and we believe they are away on holiday. We don't know about much what's going on, we know he's been very badly hurt [and] there's been a tragic accident.'

The neighbour said that he had lived on the street for 20 years and that the Smiths had been there for 'much of that time'.

He added: 'He's retired but he used to work in IT. He's got a son and daughter who don't live at home now, they've moved away. He's a nice chap, always very friendly.'

The friend said they had spoken to the brother-in-law who did not know more details than what had been reported.

He added: 'He's in intensive care. He was attacked by a bull shark, on the arm and leg. The people with him, I think they were in the water together, they sort of fended off the shark and applied tourniquets.

'I suppose it's instinct. They sort of got him out of the water and got him to the hospital.'

A second neighbour told MailOnline: 'It's horrible, it was put on our WhatsApp Group yesterday. It's pretty horrific.'

A third described the attack as 'pretty traumatic' but did not want to speak further while Mr Smith recovers.

Another neighbour added that he is now retired and plays a lot of golf in his spare time.

And another said: 'We know them as well as you know your neighbours. He's a nice man, they were always very kind to us.

'He's a big family man, he sees his kids a lot. They're all very close. All of the rest of the family are really nice too, I couldn't say a bad word to be honest.'

Other neighbours said they were shocked by the incident in Tobago but did not know Mr Smith as well.

Father-of-two Peter Smith, 64, from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, lost several of his left-hand fingers in the attack yesterday by Turtle Beach near the Starfish Hotel in Courland Bay, Tobago, at around 9am on Friday.

A few fingers were reattached but he has remained in intensive care at Tobago's Scarborough General Hospital with 'significant wounds' to his leg and stomach that will need 'extensive work'.

Tobagonian authorities have closed seven beaches as they search for the search to 'neutralise the threat' of the shark, which is 10ft long and two feet wide.

Footage shared by Tobagonian Chief Secretary Farley Augustine showed the shark prowling close to the shore at a nearby beach in Buccoo.

Retired IT worker Mr Smith was on holiday with his wife Joanna, 62, who works for the NHS. 

Footage after the attack showed other British holidaymakers surrounding the injured father-of-two to offer support. 

The Smiths' neighbours in Berkhamsted told the Mail Mr Smith was a 'family man' who was 'very friendly' and spent a lot of his spare time playing golf.

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'Even while the shark was doing the attack, the other people in the water were physically trying to fight off the shark.'

British holidaymaker Stephanie Wright, from West Sussex, saw the aftermath of the attack.

She said: 'We saw some people on the beach and I originally thought the gentleman had had a cardiac arrest and I thought they were helping him.

'I saw someone running down with a towel and then I saw a dorsal fin come out of the water and thought, ''Oh my God, it's a shark.''

'As it turned, I saw the tail come out as well as it swam off.'

Tobagonian Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said the victim was with his wife and friends and had intended to fly home later that day.

He said the local government was working with the British High Commission to 'ensure that the family gets all that they need during this difficult time'.

He added:  'The task at this time for our health professionals is really to stabilise and ensure that we can save life and limb as much as possible.'

A bounty of $10,000 (£8,010) was offered to anyone who could capture the shark and move it away from the beaches - but this has now been retracted.

Speaking to Tobago Channel 5, witness Stephanie Wright, from West Sussex, said: 'We saw some people on the beach, and I originally thought the gentleman had had a cardiac arrest, and I thought they were helping him. 

'And then I saw someone running down with a towel, and then I saw a dorsal fin come out of the water and thought, 'Oh my God, it's a shark.'

'As it turned, I saw the tail come out as well'.

Authorities have also stopped reef tours and scuba diving as a precaution.

In a statement Chief Secretary Augustine said: 'Out of an abundance of caution (for the remaining portions of today), we are forced to temporarily close beaches: Plymouth, Courland Bay, Black Rock, Mt. Irvine, Buccoo, Pigeon Point, Store Bay and all coastal areas in between.

'Currently, we are doing drone reconnaissance/surveillance, Coast Guard surveillance and the Department of Fisheries is combing the area to ensure safety.'

Bull sharks, which can be found in both fresh and saltwater, are known to be one of the more aggressive types of shark and are responsible for the majority of incidents recorded close to shorelines. 

They are one of three shark species, alongside tiger and great white that are the most likely to attack humans.

Shark attacks are rare. Last year, there were 69 unprovoked attacks and 22 provoked bites worldwide, along with 14 deaths, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.