Fish Hoek Shark Attack

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In this home video, a white shark can be seen offshore after the helicopter takes off with the victim.

The NSRI told media sources that the man, Michael Cohen, who the Cape Times reported today was a Britain living in Plumstead, was attacked during a beach closure after the City of Cape Town Sharkspotters had sighted a shark this morning. The report said that he lost his right leg from above the knee and his left leg was "severely injured". He apparently spent five hours in surgery.

This is an extract from the official City Of Cape Town Report of the incident:

"The Shark Spotters first sighted two Great White Sharks at 9.15. The alarm was sounded and the beach closed and the white flag raised. Once the sharks had moved back out the bay the Red Warning Flag was raised as per standard safety protocol.

"At approximately 10.50 Shark Spotters re-sighted two Great White Sharks for the second time within Fish Hoek Bay. As per protocol the shark siren was again sounded, the beach cleared of swimmers and the shark flag raised. In both cases, sms notification of the sighting was distributed via the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) notification system.

"At around 12.25 the mountain Shark Spotter saw a swimmer enter the water near the Clovelly Corner area. The spotter tried to sound the alarm, but due to a Eskom related city-wide electricity failure the alarm did not sound. The spotter notified his colleague on the beach as well as Monwabisi Sikweyiya, the Shark Spotting operations manager by radio. The beach spotter began to run toward Clovelly corner to warn the swimmer while Monwabisi drove to Clovelly corner.

"Just after 12.25, according to eye witness Kyle James, a large shark casually and slowly approached the swimmer. At this point the swimmer was swimming parallel to the beach in a southerly direction just off the brown water emanating from the Silvermine River mouth. The shark approached the man from behind who was unaware of the sharks’ presence. The shark lunged for the swimmer, shook him once, then let go and moved off 5 to 10 metres away. Two beach goers, Mr. Douglas Drysdale, 61, from Glencairn Heights, and Mr Hugh Till, 66, from Fish Hoek entered the water and assisted Mr Cohen to shore. Before entering the water they called emergency services. At this time, Monwabisi Sikweyiya arrived on the scene and immediately began first aid measures."

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said that Cohen was bitten "numerous times". Although the species of shark has not yet been identified, witnesses indicated it was a white shark. Certainly, in the video uploaded to Youtube (above), the silhouette of a white shark can be seen off the backline of the beach just after the helicopter takes off with the victim on the way to hospital.

Emergency personnel and NSRI members stabilised the man on the beach before he was airlifted to Constantiaberg Hospital where he remains in a critical condition with massive blood loss and severe trauma. According to eNews, doctors are trying to save as much of his left leg as they can.

Lambinon denied widespread reports that the shark sirens were not working because of the Western Cape power cuts late this morning, saying that the sirens were operated by battery, the News24 report said.

The City of Cape Town has warned people to steer clear of water activity in False Bay People since the attack, which took place at lunch time yesterday. Fish Hoek, Glencairn, St James and Muizenberg beaches are closed until further notice.

According to eNews, the man did not heed warnings by Sharkspotters personnel who had noticed increased shark activity off the beach.

According to eNews bulletins, the man had frequently disregarded warnings by Sharkspotters over the last two seasons, and he again ignored their warnings today.

The attack comes a month after the NSRI issued an official statement alerting the public about increased numbers of Great White sharks cruising closer to False Bay shores. Shark researchers noticed the annual trend where shark activity shifts from Seal Island and moves in-shore along the rim of the bay in search of natural food - fish, sharks and rays. Lambinon was even reported to have said that while the main increase was occurring between Macassar and Strandfontein, sharks had also been noticed at Fish Hoek.