At the end of the morning on Sunday, a 49-year-old woman was attacked by a shark on the beach of the Château Royal, in Nouméa.
Despite the sun and the fine sand, the beaches of Noumea (New Caledonia) have been emptied of their swimmers. Swimming has been prohibited there since late Sunday morning, after a woman was attacked by a shark. The victim is seriously injured.
The attack took place around 10.30 a.m., less than a hundred meters from the shore of the beach du Château Royal, one of the busiest in Nouméa. This 49-year-old woman was at the level of the buoys delimiting the swimming area when her cries alerted a stand-up paddler.
The victim in serious condition
He managed to rescue her, hoisting her onto his board. The victim had injuries to both hands, thigh and back. She was transferred to the hospital, where her condition was considered serious on Sunday evening, according to the police national.
The animal responsible for the attack is a bulldog shark, a species that can be aggressive towards humans and whose specimens measure 3 to 4 meters in length. Immediately after the incident, the shark was seen by several witnesses who were on the pontoon crossing the swimming area.
The municipality has decided to ban swimming on all the city’s beaches as long as the animal remains around. January, February and March are the calving season for sharks. At this period they are therefore more numerous near the coasts of New Caledonia. The territory has also experienced heavy rains, which increases the risk of attack.
