We know a little more about the victim and the circumstances of the fatal shark attack, which took place on January 2 in the late afternoon, near the Kendec islet, in Koumac. The autopsy ordered by the prosecution could provide other information.
Originally from Maré, father of three children, adjutant in the adapted military service regiment (RSMA) of New Caledonia, the man who was fatally attacked by a shark on January 2, was freediving fishing when the tragedy has arrived. “Several fish had been bitten and brought to the surface”, specifies the public prosecutor, Yves Dupas, this Friday, December 3.
Leaving Kendec islet, where he had gone with members of his family, the man, aged 40, was at the level of the drop-off, about fifteen meters deep when he was attacked by a shark at arm level. It was 4:15 p.m.
Seriously injured and unconscious, the victim was brought back to the islet by his relatives, then transported with their boat to the Koumac marina, located around twenty minutes away.
There, Koumac firefighters and volunteer health personnel provided first aid while waiting for the arrival of a SAMU team sent to the scene by plane, the Koumac hospital center being closed.
The emergency doctor noted the death at 6:40 p.m., indicates the Nouméa public prosecutor's office, which ordered an autopsy to determine the exact causes of death. One of the objectives is to identify the type of shark causing the attack, based in particular on the forms of bites.
An investigation, led by the Koumac gendarmerie brigade, is also underway.
The town hall of Koumac quickly called for vigilance and reminded “some essential preventive actions during this period of giving birth to females“.
Avoid emptying your catch and throwing away your food waste near the coast or islets, practicing water activities alone or even swimming at the end of the day.
This is the third fatal shark attack in two years. On May 28, 2023, near an islet near Poum, a man in his forties died in similar circumstances, while he was underwater fishing.
The Caledonians were then marked by two precedents. On February 19, 2023, a 59-year-old Australian who was swimming near the Château Royal beach in Nouméa died. A few days earlier, on January 29, a resident of Nouméa was seriously injured in the same area. The two tragedies led to a contested shark killing campaign and the installation of nets.
Latest accident: on October 17, 2024, a 12-year-old boy was bitten on the lower limbs. It had to be amputated.
