A British man has died after being attacked by a shark while snorkelling just metres from the beach during his honeymoon in the Seychelles. The Foreign Office confirmed the death of Ian Redmond, from Lancashire, on the islands.The 30-year-old was attacked as he swam off Anse Lazio beach, on the island of Praslin.It is believed Mr Redmond – married less than two weeks ago – was around 20 yards from the shore while his 27-year-old wife, Gemma Houghton, stayed on the beach.Witnesses described first aid being given to him after he was taken to shore.He had lost one arm and had serious wounds to his legs and chest.
Jeanne Vargiolu, 56, the owner of Le Chevalier restaurant on the beach, said she saw Ms Houghton saying she “still had hope” for her husband while he lay on the beach with horrific injuries.Ms Vargiolu told Sky News: “I heard an ambulance was coming to the beach and I went around and saw somebody on the floor and I asked a policeman and he said it was a shark attack.”A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are providing consular assistance to the next of kin.”The location is regularly voted as one of the best beaches in the world but this is the second fatal shark attack, after a 36-year-old French tourist was killed there on August 2.A Seychelles government minister chaired an emergency meeting last night to discuss the freak attacks and later released a statement announcing a swimming ban.
“With immediate effect, the Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration has issued a temporary ban on swimming or entering the water in certain bays of the island of Praslin and islands off the coast of Praslin following two fatal shark attacks this month in the northwest area of the island.”They are the first fatal attacks around the small Indian Ocean nation for almost 50 years, prompting speculation the deaths were the result of a single shark.Australian research scientist Dr Jonathan Werry told Sky News that environmental conditions can affect shark behaviour.”They have specific drivers, generally physical or biological drivers, that coincide with their movement into a coastal area.
“And in many cases when you look at an attack there are other features that have correlated and led to that attack.”An employee at the four-star La Reserve hotel confirmed that Mr Redmond and his wife were staying at the resort and had been due to fly home on Saturday.Authorities launched a hunt for the shark and cautioned beachgoers in other areas about swimming dangers.Officials have also reinforced a ban on the dumping of waste from yachts and other boats into coastal waters to prevent sharks being lured to beach areas. – Skynews
