In the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, a tourist from Australia was devoured by a shark in front of horrified witnesses.
According to authorities, the 59-year-old was attacked on Sunday while swimming about 150 meters (500 feet) off the coast at a well-known beach in Nouméa.
He was bitten multiple times, sustaining severe injuries to his leg and arms, and he passed away there and then.
Three weeks have passed since the last shark attack close to the Chateau-Royal beach.
The man was transported back to the beach by two nearby sailors, where paramedics attempted to revive him.
The attack was witnessed by many people who were in the water at the time, according to local media, which caused a frantic rush back to the shore.
Authorities have ordered the capture of sharks in the area's waters and closed the majority of the beaches.
On January 29, a shark attacked a swimmer who was 49 years old and left him with serious injuries. A few days later, a surfer was also attacked.
Australia is located 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) east of New Caledonia, which is located south of Vanuatu.
Despite only having 270,000 residents, it is ranked 13th in the world for the total number of shark attacks, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, which has been compiling statistics on shark attacks around the world since 1958.
