Shark Attack: Snorkeler Killed Because He Was ‘Just In The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time’

A shark attack on Saturday killed a French snorkeler in New Caledonia. Fifty-year-old Yves Berthelot was in rather shallow water when he was attacked by a bull shark close to shore, News.au.com reports. The victim was bit twice on the arm, groin, and leg.

A local newspaper out of France — Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes — reports that Berthelot died before medical assistance showed up to help him.

A police spokesman explained that the French man suffered a very “savage and sudden attack.” Most of the people Berthelot was traveling with were health workers and their first aid was “significant,” but his injuries were so severe that nothing more could be done.

Shark expert Philippe Tirard said that clear, shallow waters are the least likely place for a bull shark to attack.

“He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Tirard said. “As in most cases, shark attacks are unpredictable. However, this species is particularly aggressive, and does not hesitate to tackle bigger than her.”

Berthelot’s wife, Anne, was treated for shock after the tragedy. She posted a photo of her husband on Facebook and wrote: “I lost the man of my life tonight.”

As the report adds, Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes wrote that since 1958 there have been 11 deaths from shark attacks in New Caledonia waters.

The Syndney Morning Herald further adds that several people pulled the victim out of the water as he was bleeding profusely from his arm and groin.

New Caledonia is a popular destination in Australia where people like to go snorkel, boat, and engage in other water activities.

According to the International Shark Attack File, 130 people were attacked by sharks in 2014. More than half of those — 72 — were unprovoked. This latest shark attack was one of those unprovoked ones added to that statistic.

The Inquisitr has already written on a number of shark attacks happening in shallow waters during 2015.

A woman was killed a few weeks ago while she was snorkeling in shallow waters in Maui. Another was attacked by a shark while in water close to shore in Florida. As summer approaches, more people are getting out and venturing into water teeming with sea life. Although a shark attack is extremely rare, a series of fatalities have surfaced in the last few weeks.

Hundreds of thousands of people enter shark-filled waters every year and it’s still a small fraction of those who actually experience a shark attack — and die from it.

[Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images]