AfricanDiver.com

Tourist attacked in shallow water

A Zimbabwean tourist on a month-long holiday lost his life in a shark attack in Fish Hoek, Cape Town.

“Lifeguard Frederick Wagenvoorde was on his tower and saw lots of splashing and thrashing around in the water, and then a lot of blood,” said Colleen Saunders, regional co-ordinator for Life-saving, Western Province.

The attack happened at 3.15pm. Other bathers were unaware of the attack until lifeguards signalled to them to get out of the water.

The man’s partner was on the beach but, it is understood, did not see the attack.

Three craft from the National Sea Rescue Institute, a dinghy from Western Province Lifesaving, a helicopter and about 15 lifeguards combed sea, air and land yesterday in search of the victim.

His body had not been found by late last night.

“The man has been identified but [his] family has not yet been notified,” Saunders said.

The man, who lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was due to spend a month in South Africa with his partner before leaving for the UK.

One of his two daughters lives in Kenya and the other in the US.

They had not been told of their father’s death at the time of going to press last night.

The NSRI’s Ian Klopper said the man was standing chest-deep in the water adjusting his goggles when he was dragged below the surface.

“The man’s partner was here but we have sent her home. She is very shocked but is remaining hopeful, but the outlook does not look good,” Klopper said.

Eye witness, Sally Wentworth, who lives on the mountainside overlooking the beach, said she heard shouting, looked outside and saw “red in the sea”.

“At first it looked as if there were dolphins, a flurry in the water. Then I saw something floating in the water, obviously the body, and the shark’s fin coming up, well above the water. It was not a nice thing to have witnessed.”

Wentworth said the attack was over in about three minutes.

“We normally hear the siren [sounded by shark-spotters, warning swimmers to leave the water] but not this time. The black flag was out indicating conditions were too difficult for shark-spotters to see into the water,” she said.

Cheryl-Samantha Owen, of the Save Our Seas Foundation, said the attack was the first indication that sharks were in the area.

The NSRI put out an alert on Monday to warn surfers and swimmers about increased shark activity in False Bay.

In 2004, regular Fish Hoek beach swimmer Tyna Webb, 77, was attacked by what was believed to have been a Great White shark. Her body was not found.

Alison Kock, director of research for the shark-spotting programme, which records behaviour and movement of the sharks, said the previous attack on a swimmer was in 2007.

“We have daily sightings but attacks are pretty rare,” he said.

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Cape Town’s disaster management warned bathers to be on the lookout for great white sharks who traditionally cruise that stretch of the coast for a nibble at this time of year.

“The appearance of white sharks is normal during peak summer months in Cape Town near in-shore areas, as these sharks are known to hunt and feed along this stretch of coastline at this time of year,” spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said today.

The sharks have not been seen coming close to the beaches or near swimmers. Shark spotters have seen them along the False Bay coastline between Sunrise Beach and Fish Hoek.

Bathers and swimmers along the False Bay coastline are urged to be cautious and to adhere to the safety warnings of shark spotters.

When the spotters sound their alarms to warn of shark sightings near to bathing and surfing areas, bathers and surfers must leave the water immediately until the danger passes.

Information on recent shark movements in False Bay is available on the Shark Spotters website sharkspotters.org.za

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Yesterday, local South African radio stations and news sites carried an article about an attack by a shark on a swimmer at Ponta do Ouro in Mozambique. It was reported that the swimmer lost an arm and a leg in the attack.

So, for example here’s one of the reports:

Article By: Matshidiso Madia
Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:19
A South African teenager has survived a shark attack at a popular Mozambican diving spot.
The teen was swimming in the Ponte de Ora Bay on Tuesday afternoon when the shark attacked him.
The boy was airlifted to a hospital in KwaZulu-Natal.
e-block watch’s André Snyman, who is on holiday close to where the attack happened, said: “The teenager has lost and arm and a leg.”

However, it’s not quite that sensationalist. Courtesy of Debbie Mather-Pike and Elaine Botha, (from Ponta do Oura) here’s the true story:

THE TRUE STORY
The truth is that a 27 year old male was swimming in the bay yesterday and was attacked by a +/- 2.5 m shark (tiger or zambie but unknown).
He was stabilised on the scene, and taken to Manguzi Hospital. He was conscious and responsive to all questions and even jokes.
Last night he was taken to Empangeni Hospital and admitted.
Spoke to the attending doctor this morning. He said that the victim was fine, going into surgery to be cleaned up and stitched and was expected to make a full recovery. He did go into shock from fluid loss, but this has since been administered and he is stable.
He will be fine but will have big scars on his right back & shoulder area.

I understand that Radio 702 was contacted and informed of the “true story”, however their reaction was very disappointing. Apparantly, the reporter contacted did not even write down the new facts and uninterestingly just said thanks and put the phone down. It seems they want to create sensationalism first and apologize later for their stupid error.

A helicopter has searched extensively for the shark but so far no further sightings. Interestingly fishermen spent ages fishing the bay in a attempt to catch the shark, post the attack.

Elaine had the following comments to make: “holiday makers were annoyed by this phenomenon which is not common to Ponta Bay as we are naturally protected by a school of dophin who live here. Very strange. The shark remained in the shallow breakwater all afternoon and jumped out the water a few times where it could be seen by all watching from the beach.

George - Photographs of a huge Great White Shark being dissected at the Point in Mossel Bay caused a stir around the country this week, with people sending the pictures around by e-mail.

“The shark of about 4.3m, which was dissected on Friday in Mossel Bay, landed in nets of the Natal Sharks Board at the Zinkwasi beach in KwaZulu-Natal,” said Dawie Zwiegelaar of the National Sea Rescue Institute’s Mossel Bay office on Wednesday.

According to Geremy Cliff, head of the Natal Sharks Board, the female shark was weak but alive, when it was found. It was also marked.

“Staff from the Sharks Board tried in vain to free her, but she was clearly confused and was found dead in the nets early the next morning.”

Cliff said the shark was dragged to the beach and taken to their head office in Umhlanga to be cut open as part of their research into feeding and reproduction.

Filmed

At the request of British documentary film production company Windfall Films, it was decided to keep the shark until the film crew could film the dissection in Mossel Bay.

According to Dr Ryan Johnson, head of Ocean Research in Mossel Bay, Windfall Films wanted to film in the area due to the natural beauty. Windfall Films was busy with the second series in their popular programme Inside Nature’s Giants.

The shark was dissected on Friday at the Point by staff from the Sharks Board.

The photographs that created such a buzz were taken at the time.

“It isn’t one of our sharks, we don’t have such small sharks,” joked Zwiegelaar on Wednesday.

Source: - Die Burger

The regulating of whale watching and shark cage diving businesses will begin this month. The Environmental Affairs Department has said it will begin issuing permits in accordance with the two boat-based activities gazetted last year.

A fee of R8 249 which will be required with each application will be non-refundable.

Under section 13 of the Marine Living Resources Act, the permits will be allocated for a maximum period of one year and re-allocated each year for five years from the date of the initial allocation.

“(The policies) are aimed at providing and improving regulatory and compliance frameworks in each sector, growing both sectors through the allocation of a greater number of permits and transforming the industries.”

White shark cage diving will be restricted to Seal Island in False Bay, Dyer Island in Gansbaai, Quoin Rock at Quoin Point, Seal Island in Mossel Bay and Algoa Bay while boat-based whale watching will be allowed in 27 different coastal areas.

I have just returned from Port St John’s and the sardine run. What an experience. I saw everything from dolphin, seal, Bryde’s whales, Humpback whale, Great white shark and much more. I will be doing an article for our magazine which is due at the end of this month. Keep an eye out for it.