In New Caledonia, a 59-year-old Australian tourist died on Sunday after a shark attack that occurred 150 meters from a Noumea beach, the town hall said in a statement.
The victim was swimming near the pontoon of this very busy beach in the capital, when he was bitten several times by the shark.
The 50-year-old was "
rescued by two boaters who were nearby
," said Yves Dupas, the public prosecutor.
The emergency services noted a serious bite on the leg, as well as on the level of his two arms.
Despite the cardiac massage practiced upon his return to the beach, the man succumbed to his injuries.
The attack occurred while a large number of people were in the water, causing a panic on the beach of the Royal Castle in the south of the agglomeration.
The area was immediately evacuated.
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The mayor of the City of Noumea, Sonia Lagarde (Renaissance), ordered the closure of the vast majority of the town's beaches and the launch of a campaign to capture tiger sharks and bulldog sharks, jointly with the southern province from New Caledonia.
Drones were also deployed by municipal services, which made it possible to observe two sharks in the area, according to the police.
Operations were suspended at nightfall and will resume Monday morning.
An investigation was opened to find the causes of death according to the prosecution.
"
The beach was monitored by certified persons and the attack took place inside the marked area
," said the prosecutor.
Already on January 29, a 49-year-old swimmer was seriously injured after being bitten by a shark, a hundred meters off the same beach of the Royal Castle.
Five days later, a surfer (foil) had been charged by a shark, without injury this time.
These three attacks occurred in the space of three weeks, during which swimming and nautical activities were prohibited for seventeen days against only four days of bathing authorization.
