A tourist has died after having her leg bitten off in a suspected shark attack as she swam with her five-year-old child off a Mexican beach.
A graphic video was circulated online showing the victim laying on the sand after being pulled out of the water.
Onlookers could be heard shouting "She's lost her leg" as emergency teams were scrambled to the beach.
Maria Fernandez Martinez Jimenez, 26, a former marine biology student, was named locally as the victim.
Locals at the scene said Ms Jimenez, who saved her child by placing her on a floating platform as the shark approached.
The attack on Saturday morning happened just 65 feet from the shoreline as a swimming race was taking place.The event was suspended and the alarm raised.
Local authorities issued a warning to locals and visitors to stay out of the water following the tragedy.
A makeshift altar has been set up on the beach to act as a memorial at the spot where the woman died.
Civil Protection workers and firefighters in the municipality of Cihuatlan, which Melaque Beach is part of, said in a message after the incident: "Our officials were carrying out support activities during a swimming event in the bay when they received reports of a person who was having problems getting out of the sea.
"When they reached the area they discovered a woman who was lifeless with one of her legs amputated, apparently following a shark attack."
A statement from Cihuatlan's municipal government said: "Following the terrible incident off one of our beaches, our priority is guaranteeing the safety and wellbeing of all our citizens.
"That's why we've decided on a precautionary measure of banning access to beaches until further notice.
"We are working in collaboration with the appropriate authorities to evaluate the situation and take the necessary measures to guarantee security on our beaches."
Authorities closed the beaches in Melaque and Barra de Navidad to swimming as a precaution.
University chiefs said in a Facebook tribute, saying it shared the pain of the victim's friends and family: "We express our condolences following this irreparable loss."
A former University of Guadalajara student added alongside a photo of Maria: 'I want to express my condolences, affection and support for Maria's family following her death.
"I am accompanying this wonderful family I feel as my own in their pain and anguish. I am with you. Rest in peace Maria."
Shark attacks are relatively rare in Mexico. In 2019, a U.S. diver survived a shark bite on the forearm in Magdalena Bay off the Baja California Sur coast.
