Tourist, 59, viciously attacked by 13 ft TIGER SHARK dies despite desperate rescue efforts by lifeguards
NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA: An Australian tourist was killed after he was mauled to death by a shark at a popular beach in Noumea, New Caledonia. The tourist was swimming near a crowded pontoon approximately 500 feet away from the shore at the Chateau-Royal Beach on Sunday, February 19 at around 4 pm when he was viciously attacked. Blood-curling footage of lifeguards involved in a desperate attempt to save the life of the man, 59, has emerged.
The lifeguards raced on a jet ski to retrieve the man immediately and bring him back to shore so he can be given medical attention. They are then seen pulling the victim out of the ski and struggling to do so as well. Then, sensing the urgency, one of the lifeguards had run to the nearby Hotel Chateau Royal to get help, while the other worked on pulling him back to shore. The tourist was attacked several times by what is believed to be a tiger shark at least 4 meters long- the man had suffered wounds all over his body.
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CPR performed immediately but in vain!
Daily Mail reports that while the lifeguard tried to pull him off the ski, he lost his footing and fell back into the water before he pulled him back by the arms until another rescuer showed up to lend a hand. Unfortunately, the victim showed no sign of life throughout the rescue. CPR was immediately performed, but in vain as the man remained unresponsive.
While some witnesses claim that one lifeguard rushed out immediately to save the man, one hotel guest who claims to have seen the whole tragedy unfold says that the lifeguard was likely trying to scare away the shark.
Aftermath of the attack
The victim is said to be an Australian tourist who was traveling alone. He is yet to be identified, but it has been reported that the man was staying at the nearby Le Meridien hotel. The Guardian reports that following the attack, Sonia Lagarde, the mayor of the city, had ordered the closure of the beaches in the area and also the capture of the tiger sharks and bull sharks in the waters. Drones have been used to track the sharks and two were already spotted before operations were stopped at nightfall. Yves Dupas, local prosecutor, has also claimed that an investigation into the attack to shed light on the circumstances will be conducted.