The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has confirmed the body of a 37-year-old fisherman who went missing in a suspected shark attack off Mfazazana near Hibberdene on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast has been recovered.
“On Sunday during ongoing search and recovery operations, police K9 search and rescue and water policing and diving services (WPDS) located and recovered the body of a man believed to be that of a man who went missing in the sea on Friday afternoon in an apparent shark incident,” said the NSRI.
While the body showed “obvious shark wounds that are being investigated” formal identification processes are under way.
The man was reported missing on Friday after a dramatic incident in the ocean involving three fishermen. The group had been in the water near a school of sardines when a shark reportedly surfaced where the missing man was fishing.
According to the NSRI, one of the friends tried to intervene but was forced to retreat when confronted by at least two sharks.
“It is believed the sharks were feeding on the school of sardines,” the NSRI said.
This prompted police and diving teams from WPDS with K9 search and rescue units to launch a search on Friday but were unable to locate the man.
The search resumed on Saturday, with assistance from the NSRI Shelly Beach crew and culminated in the recovery of the body on Sunday.
An inquest docket has been opened by police.
Shark Spotters, a marine safety and conservation group, said the incident highlights the real but rare danger posed by sharks in South African waters.
“Since records started for South Africa in 1905, there have been a total of 248 unprovoked attacks. Of these, most have occurred in the Eastern Cape with 103 cases, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 90 cases and the Western Cape with 55 cases,” the organisation said.
They noted three species, the great white, bull (Zambezi) and tiger sharks, are responsible for most shark attacks in South African waters.
“2015 saw the highest number of unprovoked shark attacks recorded in a year, with 98 attacks and six deaths. Though shark attacks occur throughout the world, the US, Australia and South Africa remain the main hotspots,” said Shark Spotters.
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.