A 10-year-old girl suffered a severe foot injury after being bitten by a moray while visiting Coral Beach in Eilat with her family, the Health Ministry reported Wednesday. The girl, Shiri, sustained deep lacerations and a complete tear of the tendon responsible for straightening her toe in the unusual incident.
She was immediately evacuated to Yosseftal Medical Center, where doctors thoroughly irrigated the wound and administered targeted antibiotics to prevent potentially serious marine-related infections. She was then rushed to the operating room for surgery to reconstruct the torn tendon.
Shiri’s mother, reflecting on the incident, said the experience taught the family an important lesson. “This incident taught us an important lesson. We don’t enter the water in reef areas without water shoes, not even for a second," she said.
Dr. Sergei Boikov, head of the Orthopedics Department at Yosseftal Medical Center and the surgeon who treated Shiri, said the examination showed that she could not move her toe. “During the examination, we saw that the girl was unable to move her toe. We identified a complete tear of the extensor tendon and stitched it in order to prevent future functional impairment. Children recover well from injuries like these, and we expect a full recovery."
Dr. Nasser Assaela, head of the hospital’s Pediatrics Department, said morays generally do not attack people, but warned that the risk of injury can increase near rocks and during evening hours. “We recommend that swimmers not approach marine animals and enter the water only with water shoes," she added.