China - A dramatic incident took place in an aquarium: while a mermaid performer was entertaining the guests, she was suddenly attacked by a giant fish !

The attack took place in the Chinese province of Yunnan in the Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park.

As The Sun reports, 22-year-old Masha was attacked by a sturgeon while the guests watched helplessly.

At first the fish swam calmly towards her, but within seconds it bit down and grabbed the mermaid's entire head with its mouth.

Fortunately, the swimmer reacted quickly, freed herself from the sturgeon's grip and swam hastily to the surface.

Masha suffered injuries to her head, neck and eye. Her nose clip and swimming goggles were swallowed by the giant fish.

According to some sources, the 22-year-old was forced to continue working shortly after the incident despite being in severe pain. She was offered the equivalent of around 93 euros in compensation.

She was also forbidden to speak about the incident, as the park's bosses tried to cover it up. Her employers repeatedly warned her of the possible consequences if she shared the story on the internet.

However, the efforts to keep the incident quiet failed when a bystander posteda video of the incident.