Egypt reported on Saturday that “an Austrian tourist whose left arm was torn off by a shark” in Sahl Hasheesh Bay, just south of Hurghada. Images on social media show how the 68-year-old woman is attacked while swimming, after which she tries to swim back to the beach.
Other tourists were able to watch the tragic event from the beach and from a jetty. Several men also tried to pull her out of the water with a rope. The woman was taken to hospital by ambulance, but later died of her injuries.
Second victim
On Sunday, Egyptian authorities acknowledged that at about the same time on Friday, a second woman was also killed in a shark attack: a Romanian in her 40s who swam just 200 meters from the location where the Austrian woman died. Her body was found on a reef on Sunday.
Both women are said to have been attacked by a mako shark, the world’s fastest shark, which grows up to 4 meters, according to unconfirmed reports.
Beaches closed
Egypt has since ordered the closure of several beaches in the area. An investigation into the exact circumstances is underway.
The Red Sea is a popular destination for snorkelers and divers, among others. Deadly shark attacks are rare. In 2018, a tourist from the Czech Republic died, in 2015 a German. In 2010, a very exceptional wave of five attacks in five days occurred when a retired German woman died and four other tourists were injured.