A Russian man was killed by a tiger shark in Egypt while he was swimming at a beach on Thursday, leaving the witnesses in shock. The incident, which was captured on a disturbing video that surfaced online, showed the moment when the 23-year-old Russian national was attacked after a shark emerged underwater and grabbed him.
Russia's TASS news agency confirmed that the person killed was a Russian, however he lived in Egypt full-time and was not a tourist, news agency Reuters reported.
The gruesome attack was also witnessed by the man’s father, present on the spot. “We went to the beach to relax,” the father recalled the incident. “My son was attacked by a shark, it all happened in seconds,” he was quoted as saying by the Independent.
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The heart-wrenching video captured the victim's desperate cry for help, as the witnesses watched the tragic event unfold before their eyes.
Trigger warning: Viewer discretion is advised: The following video contains footage of a shark attack. Please be aware that this content may be disturbing or distressing to some individuals.
{{/usCountry}}Trigger warning: Viewer discretion is advised: The following video contains footage of a shark attack. Please be aware that this content may be disturbing or distressing to some individuals.
{{/usCountry}}The father expressed his helplessness over the situation as he said nothing could have been done at the moment. “What kind of help can you give?...he was just dragged under the water,” he said.
The victim’s father also blamed the incident on “evil” fate, as he noted that the beach was deemed safe to swim. “....ridiculous coincidence…there are ships and yachts around. It’s never happened there…this would be just some kind of evil fate,” he added.
The incident took place at one of Egypt’s Red Sea resorts near the city of Hurghada. The attack prompted the authorities to close off a 74-kilometre stretch of the coastline till Sunday.
The country’s environment ministry has reportedly caught the shark and is examining it to identify reasons for the attack.
In 2022, a total of 57 confirmed unprovoked cases of shark attacks had happened globally, with the United States reporting the highest number at 41, followed by Australia, a report by Florida Museum of Natural History stated. Of these, five people died in the attacks.