A 23-year-old Russian man has been killed in an ‘attack’ by a tiger shark while snorkelling off the coast of the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada, according to Egyptian and Russian authorities.
Seventy-four km (46 miles) of coastline surrounding Hurghada has been closed following the incident, and will remain off-limits to watersports activities until Sunday.
Early reports suggested the shark was a mako or oceanic white-tip shark, however, Egyptian authorities say that it was a tiger shark which they have now caught and which they are examining to determine a possible cause for the extremely rare form of attack.
It has since been reported that the shark was captured and dragged from the water by boat, before being beaten to death on the shore.
A video of the attack which has been circulating online shows the shark circling and repeatedly attacking the swimmer, before finally dragging him underwater. In the video, the man is heard calling out for his ‘papa’, and a bystander later states that the shark is ‘eating his remains.’
The man has been identified as Vladimir Popov, who was living in Hurghada with his father, Yury for several months.
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In July 2022, beaches around the resort of Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay, 25km south of Hurghada, were closed for several days following the deaths of a 68-year-old Austrian woman and a Romanian woman, said to be in her 40s, several hours later.
Both deaths were blamed on a mako shark, although it is unclear if the species of the shark or sharks involved was ever identified.
Shark-biting incidents of any type are extremely rare, however, the nature of the Russian man’s ‘mauling’ is particularly unusual shark behaviour. Most unprovoked shark-biting incidents involve a single bite – which can sometimes prove fatal – rather than a sustained attack.
Authorities have asked tourists to ‘remain vigilant’ when heading into the water.
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This article has been updated to reflect the name of the deceased, which was previously unreleased, and the method of the shark’s capture and killing. The story is still developing and we will update with further information if it becomes available.
