Although shark attacks are rare, they can still happen, usually provoking fear. What should have been a fun day at the beach turned into a nightmare experience for both an individual and all those present. In the resort city of Hurghada in Egypt’s Red Sea, a man was swimming when an unforeseen tragedy unfolded.
Video captures fatal shark attack
A disturbing video captured the terrifying sight of the man being mauled by a tiger shark and dragging him underwater in an upside-down position, leaving only his legs visible above the water’s surface. The woman recording the distressing scene shouted in extreme anguish while the building crowd erupted in screams of horror.
Tragically, the shark inflicted a final bite on the man’s torso, pulling him beneath the water. The Ministry of Environment in Egypt released a statement attributing the attack to a tiger shark. Heartbreakingly, the man succumbed to his injuries, resulting in his death.
There was quite a bit of speculation about the man’s identity
While the man was a Russian native, the embassy has not disclosed his identity. Born in 1999, he was a permanent resident of Egypt and not a visiting tourist, as confirmed by the embassy. Additionally, the ministry mentioned that they successfully captured the shark responsible for the attack. They were conducting examinations to ascertain the underlying cause of this unusual incident.
As a precautionary measure, a significant portion – 46 miles to be exact of the beach where the tragic event unfolded has been temporarily closed to the public. A diver who arrived at the scene shortly after the attack described how the people present attempted to come to the man’s aid. But unfortunately, they were unable to reach him in time to prevent the tragic outcome.
“It happened in a second,” a witness told Russian station REN-TV, per The New York Post. “Rescuers reacted very quickly. For some reason, I immediately felt that it was a shark. I immediately jumped up and started shouting: ‘Sharks, sharks! Save yourself!’ Nobody understood yet.”
Read: World’s first aerial footage of killer whales hunting and killing great white sharks is nature at its scariest
Shark attacks are on the rise and two species are responsible
The Russian consulate in Hurghada issued a message advising tourists to remain cautious while swimming and to adhere to any local swimming restrictions. Although tiger shark attacks are infrequent in the Red Sea, two fatal incidents were reported last year, just days apart.
In July, an Austrian woman and a Romanian woman lost their lives in separate incidents within the same waters. According to the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File, tiger sharks are ranked second in unprovoked attacks, with great white sharks at the top of the list.
According to the Austrian news agency APA, one of the women who tragically lost her life in the previous incidents was a 68-year-old tourist from Austria’s Tyrol region who was on vacation in Egypt. Austria’s foreign ministry confirmed to AFP (Agence France-Presse) on Sunday the “death of an Austrian citizen in Egypt” while refraining from disclosing additional details regarding the incident.
Likewise, Romania’s foreign ministry, citing information provided by Egyptian authorities, confirmed to AFP on Sunday the “death of a Romanian citizen” resulting from what seemed to be a “shark attack” off the coast of Hurghada.
It seems that the area is also a hot spot for shark activity and shark attacks
In 2020, a shark attack resulted in a young Ukrainian boy losing an arm, while an Egyptian tour guide lost a leg. Tragically, in 2018, a Czech tourist also fell victim to a fatal shark attack along a Red Sea beach. Similarly, a German tourist suffered the same fate in 2015 in another shark attack incident.
In 2010 we witnessed an alarming series of five attacks within five days. Occurring remarkably close to the shore of the popular tourist destination of Sharm el-Sheikh. These attacks claimed one German tourist’s life and injured four other tourists.
According to a report released in January, global shark attacks increased in 2021 following three consecutive years of decline. Highlighting a concerning trend. So unless you have some brash plan of action, stay out of the water, folks!
Keep Reading: Astonishing Moment Humpback Whale Saved Woman From A Shark Attack
Sources
- “Russian Man Dies After Being Mauled by Tiger Shark in Rare Attack Near Egyptian Red Sea Resort.” People. Anna Lazarus Caplan. June 9, 2023
- “Two women killed in shark attacks in Egypt’s Red Sea.” CBS News. July 4 2022
- “Russian man dies after being mauled by shark off Egyptian Red Sea resort.” The Guardian. June 8, 2023