Egyptian shark attack kills one, authorities close coastal area

SMA NEWS – CAIRO
Egyptian authorities on Saturday closed off a stretch of the country’s Red Sea coastline, a day after a shark attack killed an Austrian woman swimming near the resort of Hurghada.
The 68-year-old woman, who lost a leg and an arm in the shark attack, died shortly after she was brought to the private Nile Hospital in Hurghada, an Egyptian health official said.
She was barely alive when she was brought in on Friday, the official said, adding that attempts by medical staff to resuscitate her failed. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to reporters.
According to an internal document from the office of the governor of the Red Sea province, shared with The Associated Press, authorities were to close off the area for three days, banning all “sea activities,” including diving, snorkelling, wind surfing and kite sailing. Fishing boats were also banned from the waters off Hurghada.
A video circulated online purported to show the attack on the woman by a Mako shark relatively close to the shore, seen from a nearby pier. In the video, the water around the woman turns red from blood as bystanders on the pier throw a flotation device toward her. It remained unclear how she was able to get to the shore.