Great white shark mauls man in fatal shark attack with clearly visible bites

Authorities suspect a fatal shark attack resulted in the death of a man.

The unidentified man was discovered mauled on a beach in South Africa on Friday. Following the finding of the man’s body by a passerby at around 4.30 p.m., authorities speculated that he may have perished as a result of a shark attack.

A second body was discovered at La Lucia beach in Durban, but local officials were unable to find the swimmer.

The second victim is thought to have been washed out to sea.

The man’s death is being investigated by the Durban North South African Police Service.

South African medical emergency care provider, Netcare 911, said a chunk of the man’s right arm and chest were missing, with what appeared to be shark bites visible on his body.

Netcare 911 Spokesperson Shawn Herbst said: “Reports indicate that while walking on the beach, a man came across the decomposing body of an adult male face down between washed-up flotsam.

“When medics turned the body over for assessments they found that a portion of the right upper arm and right chest were missing with multiple shark bites clearly visible.

“A second body was also found in the shore break, but it had been washed back out to sea by the strong surf before lifeguards arrived on scene.

“Officials will determine the exact cause of death with the body handed over to Durban SAPS for further investigation.”

The South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, which includes Durban, has introduced ‘shark nets’ to protect swimmers who venture out to sea.

The nets are secured metres below the surface of the ocean to separate human swimmers from sharks approaching the shoreline.

The province’s beaches will also raise red flags to warn swimmers or surfers when a shark has been spotted.

The red flags bear the emblem of a shark, and will often be accompanied by a siren sounding.

The red flag denotes a shark’s presence detected the same day, but the creature’s whereabouts are now unknown.

A white flag warns swimmers not to enter the water as a shark has just been detected.

Shark research organisation Shark Spotters says around 250 shark attacks have been recorded in South Africa since 1905.

They add that three shark species are typically responsible for these attacks: tiger, bull and white sharks.

According to the group, 2015 was the year where the most shark bites were reported at 98 attacks.

Back in 2011, a British man in South Africa was ambushed by an estimated 11-foot-long shark, losing a leg despite the best efforts of emergency services.

Michael Cohen, 43, was dragged ashore by witnesses before first responders rushed to treat him on the scene at Fish Hoek Beach.

He was airlifted to hospital before having his leg amputated, with emergency services estimating Mr Cohen needed seven litres of blood to replace the quantity he lost in the attack.

This article by Ellie Cook was first published by The EXpress on 4 April 2022. Lead Image: Authorities said the man may have died after being attacked by a shark (Image: Getty).

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