A teenage girl holidaying in Reunion, just off the coast of Madagascar, was brutally killed in a horrific shark attack on the island.
The 15-year-old was apparently just 15 feet off the beach when a shark set upon her whilst she snorkelled and sliced her in her half, killing her instantly.
The paradise island of Reunion is a popular destination for tourists heading to the Indian Ocean, and officials are currently aghast that the creature came so close to the coastline to commit its attack.
A hoard of visitors, tourists, and natives, which included the victim’s sister, saw the ordeal unfold, which began at around 3pm on Monday, when the girl was pulled underwater.
Gina Hoarau , the head of public safety on the island, confirmed that the shark had sliced the teenager’s body in two at the torso, and that “a part of her body was taken away by the shark.”
Hoarau then added, “The girls were in an are of St Paul bay where swimming is not allowed. She would have died instantly. The operation to recover the upper part of her body is ongoing.”
The Mayor of St Paul, Huguette Bello, also stated, “The girl, who was 15, came from mainland France and spent her holidays on the island. She was staying on the island with her father, who is in charge of the yacht club in St Paul. Both of the girls had masks and snorkels on, and were swimming just in front of the Bay restaurant.”
Even though there have been some recent attacks on surfers, Mr Bello confirmed that this was the first time “in a long time” that a shark had lurched onto swimmers so close to the beach. This was the second shark attack of the year on the island.
Last year, there were 78 shark attacks across the globe, eight of which were fatal.