SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Shark kills honeymooning groom

Authorities in the Seychelles closed down beaches Wednesday after a shark savaged a British honeymooner as his newly-wed wife watched in horror, in the second fatal attack on a tourist this month.

Bull_shark_1201_B_339673928

4 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AFP


Skip to article content

Authorities in the Seychelles have closed down beaches after a shark savaged a British honeymooner as his newly-wed wife watched in horror, in the second fatal attack on a tourist this month.

Ian Redmond, 30, was hauled into a boat and taken to shore following the attack but died from blood loss, police said.

"The shark tore off his arm and bit a part of his left leg," a police statement said.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

His wife was on the Anse Lazio beach -- a famous beauty spot hailed for its white sand on the archipelago's Praslin island -- and watched helplessly as her husband was mauled by the shark.

"Two people who were on a boat not far from the attack tried to rescue him," the statement added.

"Ian Redmond did not survive his injuries because he had lost too much blood."

Authorities on the Indian Ocean archipelago have ordered fishermen to try to capture the killer shark.

The attack happened on Tuesday afternoon in the same area where a shark attacked and killed a 36-year-old French diver earlier this month.

The Seychelles Maritime Safety Authority issued a swimming ban at the Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette beaches.

"Fishermen will be undertaking continuous patrols, research and fishing activities in order to capture the shark," the maritime authority said in a statement.

It said it would also reinforce a ban of "dumping of waste from yachts and other boats, which have been reported in some of these areas" which some fear could have attracted sharks.

"It is a rogue shark that has caused a freak accident," Alain St Ange, the Seychelles Tourism Board's director, told the BBC.

"We have now closed the beach, all the surrounding beaches and stopped diving in the area, to ensure we deal with the problem we are facing -- and then reopen the beaches after."

The widow's family were travelling to the country to be with her, he added.

South African shark experts have been invited to advise the authorities on how best to limit future attacks.

"We are not going to hunt the shark down -- there is no way you can tell which shark was responsible," said Jeremy Cliff, from the KwaZulu Natal Sharks Board, a research centre working to protect swimmers in South Africa.

"However, we are going to examine the area, and will provide the government with recommendations to reduce the chances -- as much as possible -- of this happening again."

The distraught widow said her husband's death left a "gaping hole in our hearts that will never be filled".

"We were having so much fun and we were so excited about our future together," Gemma Redmond in a statement.

"We are privileged and proud to have shared our lives with him."

The newly-wed couple were from Lancashire in northwest England.

Shark attacks are rare in Seychelles, with the last reported fatal attack before the recent killings in 1963, according to the government.

The 115-island archipelago is a popular top-end tourist destination, with some villa accommodation costing as much as 10,000 euros per night.

Britain's Prince William and his bride Catherine celebrated their honeymoon in the archipelago in May.

British officials said they were comforting the grieving widow.

"The British High Commissioner and the vice-consul flew out on Tuesday to support his wife," a British High Commission spokeswoman said.

Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office updated travel warnings following the deadly attack, highlighting the swimming ban.

"You should avoid swimming at these designated locations until further notice," the warning read.

Last year, 79 people were attacked worldwide by sharks with six fatalities, the highest number of attacks in a decade and a 25-percent increase compared to 2009, according to researchers in Florida.

Russia's Interfax news agency said Wednesday a shark left a 25-year-old man badly mutilated in an extremely rare attack in the northwestern part of the Sea of Japan.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world