A horrific incident unfolded at the famous Egyptian resort of Hurghada when a 23-year-old Russian tourist was mauled to death and eaten by a shark as the onlookers watched in horror. The man, identified as Vladimir Popov, desperately screamed “Papa, Papa” as the predator hunted him in the waters, circling and pulling him underwater several times. His distraught girlfriend managed to escape. The man was killed by a tiger shark in the waters when he was out on a swim on Thursday.
In a video, now in wide circulation, the victim can be seen thrashing about in the water before he is pulled underwater, and the shark starts chewing at his legs. He is heard screaming for his father while the person who filmed him shouts off-camera that the creature is eating his remains. The attack occurred near a hotel beach in Hurghada, where many Russian tourists stay.
The attacker was a tiger shark, a large fish native to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, according to Egypt’s Environment Ministry. The shark is known to attack people when they swim into its territory and can be dangerous to people of all ages, especially if it has been provoked or injured.
It was not immediately clear if the shark attacked Popov unprovoked, but officials said he was swimming close to the shore when it swam toward him. The fish then bit into his left leg and torso. The man tried to kick out of its grasp, but the shark kept grabbing and dragging him underwater. Other swimmers rushed to help the victim but could not save him. The Baza news outlet named the victim in Russia as Popov, who had moved to the resort of Hurghada with his father for an extended stay a few months ago.
According to the local media, he was not a professional swimmer and reportedly didn’t swim often. The attack came just a day after a man in his 60s was pulled underwater by a shark in North Carolina’s Outer Banks and was bitten numerous times.
According to the environment minister in Egypt, Yasmine Fouad, a committee has been formed to investigate the incident. She also warned visitors to be careful when they enter the water and adhere to any swimming bans imposed by the local authorities.
Egypt’s Environment Ministry announced that the tiger shark that mauled the man had been caught and will be examined in a laboratory to determine why it attacked. The ministry also closed off a 74-kilometer stretch of coastline around the city, where the attack occurred. It will remain closed until Sunday. The ministry has urged tourists to follow swimming bans and avoid crowded beaches.
