The ocean is a great democratizing force. It’s a place where all are equally welcome – and equally at peril. One of the agents of that force is the humble shark, which recently proved that even celebrities aren’t above being bitten.
The shark encounter in question occurred at Puerto Rico’s Carolina Resort on Thursday. The victim, Eleonora Boi, is an Italian sports journalist, television presenter and wife of former NBA player Danilo Gallinari, who currently plays for Vaqueros de Bayamon in Puerto Rico. The pair were married in 2022 and Boi is currently pregnant with their third child.
According to local news outlet El Nuevo Dia, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) announced that a 39-year-old woman had sustained a wound to her thigh. Carolina Municipal Police Commissioner Captain Rubén Moyeno later confirmed that the victim was Boi. After the injury, she was transported to a Medical Center in Río Piedras and is in stable condition. A DRNA biologist analyzed photos of the injury and determined it was consistent with a shark bite.
“It was the worst day of my life,” wrote Boi on Instagram (as translated from Italian). “I never thought I could get attacked by a shark and I was near the shore and on a super crowded beach. Thankfully me and my baby are fine. I was rushed to the (hospital) and the surgery to fix my poor bruised leg went well. Now I just have to recover from the great scare and try to forgive the great friend who betrayed me.”
She playfully added, “Shark will be hearing from my lawyers soon.”