Moment woman, 68, desperately swam back to shore ‘after losing arm and leg’ in Egypt shark attack
Woman, 68, ‘loses arm and leg’ in shark attack at tourist resort near Sharm el Sheikh as shocked holidaymakers watch from beach
- Austrian pensioner killed in shark attack at popular tourist resort in Egypt
- Water turned red when woman, 68, ‘lost an arm and a leg’ in Sahl Hasheesh, Red Sea
- She died shortly afterwards of a ‘painful shock’, despite the best efforts of the doctors on the coast
- Dangerous six-foot gray reef sharks are among 44 species found in the Red Sea
- WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
This is the chilling moment when a woman desperately tried to swim back to shore after a shark ‘bitten off her arm and leg’ at a tourist hotspot in Egypt.
The Austrian pensioner, 68, died of ‘painful shock’ – most likely a heart attack – after the attack on Sahl Hasheesh Bay in the Red Sea on Friday.
Horror footage shows her screaming for safety using a flipper as the water around her turns scarlet.
Terrified onlookers tried to distract the animal, but no one jumped in to help her.
The Austrian tourist, who was married to an Egyptian man, tried to shout back to shore with a flipper. But she died of ‘painful shock’ after reportedly losing an arm and a leg
After she miraculously made her way back to the country, doctors gave her CPR on the spot.
But minutes later, she died in an ambulance.
Authorities have closed the surrounding beaches for three days.
The woman was reportedly married to an Egyptian man and living in the country.
Video shows witnesses on a nearby jetty recording the woman’s survival attempt and commenting on her predicament.
A group of Russian tourists is heard saying, ‘Where are the rescuers?
“F***, she’s covered in blood. Holy ***.
‘Where’s the rescue team? ‘For God sake.
‘Rescuers? Where are the rescue squads? She’s fucking dying!’
Shocked onlookers (left and right) screamed for help and tried to distract the shark, but didn’t jump in
Concerned witnesses were pictured watching as the woman received urgent care from doctors
A local report quoted by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti stated that the shark bit off the woman’s arm and leg.
She was taken to hospital but died on the way after her heart stopped and couldn’t be restarted.
It added: “The woman died in the ambulance from a painful shock.”
Shark attacks in Egypt are rare – but the Red Sea has more than 44 species of fish, some of which can be deadly.
The most common are six-foot gray reef sharks, which have 13 or 14 sharp teeth.
The Austrian tourist was pictured screaming for safety as the water around her turned scarlet. She used a flipper to find her way back to shore
The Red Sea area around Sharm el Sheikh (pictured) is extremely popular with foreign tourists
They swim in shallow waters about 60 meters deep or less.
In October 2020, a 12-year-old Ukrainian boy vacationing in Egypt and his guide lost limbs after being attacked by an oceanic whitetip shark.
The couple had to be amputated after the brutal incident at the Ras Muhammad resort in the Red Sea.
And in 2010, five shark attacks took place in Sharm el Sheikh in the same number of days.
Three Russians, a Ukrainian and a German tourist were injured.
The German tourist, 71-year-old holidaymaker Renata Seifert, died of her injuries.