'There was blood everywhere': Chilling moment shark mauls tourist, 59, to death as furious beachgoers demand action
SOUTH OF NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA: An Australian man was mauled to death by a shark in New Caledonia, following a series of terrorizing shark attacks in the past week. Horrified onlookers witnessed the 59-year-old tourist being attacked by the shark after he was swimming near a crowded pontoon about 150 meters from shore at the Chateau-Royal beach, south of Nouméa, on Sunday afternoon, February 19.
Sources reported the shark allegedly bit the man several times, on his legs and arms, leaving him lying in a pool of blood. Beachgoers claim the shark attack culminated near a restaurant where guests and staff throw food into the water off a "viewing platform" to feed fish, which often attracts sharks, according to Daily Mail. Beachgoers have also voiced their concerns about the beach re-opening, following the recent two shark attacks.
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'There was blood everywhere!'
"It happened so close to shore, the poor victim was face down in the water when the jet-ski got to him," the guest at the nearby Hotel Chateau Royal said. The Aussie man was brought back to the shore through a jet ski and CPR was performed. Unfortunately, the 59-year-old could not be saved as he died of his injuries. "There was blood everywhere, we could see it from the beach. So many people were in the water at the same time and they'd only reopened the beach a few days ago," reported Daily Mail.
Recent shark attacks
A 49-year-old local school teacher was attacked by a shark in the region on January 29. The woman was reportedly swimming in the water when she fell prey to the predator and lost her leg in the attack. Prior to a week after the attack, a shark reportedly attacked a foil surfer, luckily the surfer managed to escape the jaws of the predator. "It was so scary, we're all in a panic. One of my colleagues has a son who was in the sea at the time and we're all phoning and texting our families and friends to check they're okay," a source told Daily Mail Australia. "They really shouldn't have reopened the beach. It only opened last week after another attack. It's so dangerous."
Another Hotel Chateau worker alleged "something has to be done" about the rising shark attacks. "Lots of us had family on the beach and in the sea so there was a big panic when it happened," they said. Following the deadly shark attacks, the beach was immediately evacuated and closed. Beachgoers and tourists were urged to stick to hotel pools. Following the scores of shark attacks, authorities are planning to slaughter tiger sharks and bull sharks in the area, according to the source. They have already killed five sharks after the last attack on January 29.