A Russian citizen was killed in a shark attack near a beach at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada, Russia’s Consulate General in the city and two Egyptian security sources said on Thursday.
Egypt’s Environment Ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook that a tiger shark was responsible for the death of a beachgoer, without giving details of the victim.
A team from the ministry and other authorities was able to capture the shark, the statement said, adding that local authorities had issued a ban on swimming, snorkelling and other water sports activities on several beaches near the attack site.
A diver who arrived on the scene just after the attack said people had rushed to help the victim after a lifeguard from a nearby hotel raised the alarm, but were not able to reach him in time.
Russia’s TASS news agency said the person killed was a Russian man born in 1999 who lived in Egypt full-time and was not a tourist.
In a statement posted on its official channel on the Telegram messaging application, the consulate urged Russian tourists to be vigilant when in the water and to strictly adhere to any swimming bans imposed by local authorities.
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‘Water was red’: Hawaii surfer recalls costly shark attack
Hawaii surfer Mike Morita woke up early and planned to get a few waves in before going to Easter service with his wife.
Morita, 58, headed to his regular spot locals call Kewalos, known for reliable waves over shallow reef near the mouth of a harbor not far from downtown Honolulu on the island of Oahu’s south shore.
“The water was crystal clear,” he said, noting how it was already bright at 6:15 a.m.
He was lying on his stomach on his board after riding a few waves when he felt a bite on his right leg.
“The sheer strength of it, I knew right away it was a shark,” he said Wednesday from his hospital bed. “In that critical moment, I went to God.”
He prayed for the shark to free his leg as the pressure intensified and the creature thrashed about.
“I kind of surprised myself that I went straight into prayer,” he recalled.
But he didn’t pray to stay alive: “The whole time, I never thought I was gonna die.”
“God wanted me to fight, so I started beefing,” he said, using a Hawaii Pidgin term for fighting. He repeatedly punched and swore at the shark.
His shouts and swearing got the attention of his fellow Kewalos regulars, who paddled straight toward him without hesitation.
“The water was red — with my blood,” he said. “I cannot believe how much courage my friends had.”
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Shark attacks kayak off Kualoa, caught on camera
For many fisherman, there’s a tale of the one that got away. In this case, Scott Haraguchi is glad this one got away.
He was out on his kayak fishing over a mile offshore from Kualoa in Windward Oahu. He happened to accidentally leave his GoPro turned on after catching a fish. That GoPro then captured harrowing moments that happened next.
“I heard a whooshing sound that sounded like a boat heading towards me without the motor and I looked up and I saw this big brown thing my brain thought it was a turtle but then I got slammed by it and realized that it was a tiger shark,” Haraguchi explains.
Haraguchi says he was able to kick the shark away from his kayak and keep fishing. He was running on adrenaline at the time, but it wasn’t until he got home and looked at his video that he realized the magnitude of what had happened.
He’s not sure what prompted the shark attack, but says shortly after, he noticed what appeared to a wounded seal. He believes the shark may have mistaken his kayak for its wounded prey.
It’s unclear if it’s the same shark, but a day later on Saturday, a 20 foot shark sighting prompted officials at Marine Corps Base Hawaii to close North Beach and post signs.
In the meantime, Haraguchi says he’s concerned about the recent sightings. He says he’ll always bring a partner when going fishing. He says he’s also counting his blessings. “I realize that life is short, time is short on Earth, so make the most of it,” he says.
