Windsurfer Dies in Horror Shark Attack at Popular Beach
A shark killed and mutilated a windsurfer on a popular island beach.
In a Facebook post, the Nouvelle-Caledonie Prevention Requin announced that the man, in his 50s, had died "after a shark attack to the Duck Island in Noumea."
The man "lost his life after a shark attack, in the area of the Château Royal beach, in Nouméa," the post read. "Late Sunday afternoon, rescue was at the scene and the beach was evacuated."
In an update, the agency explained that the attack occurred on February 22 while the beach was "particularly busy this weekend." The man was not named but worked as a doctor.
In 2023, an Australian tourist died of a shark attack at the same beach in New Caledonia, which is located in the South Pacific, according to CNN. Noumea is the New Caledonian city. CNN described the area as "a popular destination for international tourists in the French overseas territory." That same year, a woman was bitten by a bull shark at the same location, CNN reported. There have been 24 shark attacks in New Caledonia, according to a website that tracks historical attacks.
The Man's Relatives Were at the Scene of the Shark Attack
(Photo by DELPHINE MAYEUR / AFP) (Photo by DELPHINE
The attack happened off the coast of L'Anse Vata in the late afternoon," the agency wrote. "A significant security feature has been deployed. According to our information, it is a man in his fifties, who was flying on a wingfoil around the beach of Aquareve and near Caesar's Island, near the former hotel 'Le Méridien.'"
What is a windfoil? "Wind foiling or hydrofoiling is a new form of windsurfing, in which the windsurfing board floats about 50 cm above the water instead of over the water," according to Windfoilen. "The wind surfboard will float through a wing structure called the wind foil, which is attached under the wind surfboard. The operation of the wing construction is similar to the wings of an aircraft."
The man "was allegedly attacked by a shark. According to firefighters, he was spotted by an individual driving by boat and saw the mutilated body of the victim, who apparently had already passed away. It was the rescuers who brought the deceased's body back to the beach," Nouvelle-Caledonie Prevention Requin wrote.
More than a dozen police officers "have been deployed to protect the area and support the family. Relatives of the victim were also at the scene," added the statement. "They have been taken care of."
The Windsurfer Suffered Injuries to His Arms & Leg
A subsequent statement added that the "wingfoiler victim of a deadly shark attack in Noumea was injured to his leg and arms." There was also a "bite on the board," and an "autopsy is expected."
They revealed that "a 55-year-old man was practicing wingfoil in Vata Inlet, at the height of Magnin Point, when he was allegedly attacked by a shark. His body was discovered in the lagoon by a boater who issued the alert."
According to the prosecutor's statement, the victim, an occupational hospital doctor, had "significant injuries to the right leg as well as injuries to the left tibia and right forearm." According to authorities, the back of the board with which he was moving showed "bite traces."
"The assistance of a shark specialist was required, the prosecutor says, to determine the species of shark that caused the attack," authorities said in the statement. "Meanwhile, and always according to the prosecutor, 'the circumstances of this attack remain undetermined, in the absence of a direct witness.'"