A second woman has been killed, apparently by a shark, in the same part of the Red Sea coast that had seen a bitten snorkeller die a few hours earlier.
The body of a Romanian woman said to be in her late 40s was found only about 600m from where the first attack on a 68-year-old Austrian woman had occurred on Friday, 1 July, in the bay of Sahl Hasheesh south of Hurghada. The other attack was reported on Divernet earlier today, but the circumstances surrounding the second death remain unclear.
Egypt’s Environment Ministry stated today (3 July) that a committee had been formed to investigate the rare inshore attacks and decide what measures to take. The Red Sea Governorate had already suspended recreational in-water activities, including scuba diving, in the vicinity for at least three days.
Reuters has confirmed that the Austrian victim was a local resident. She was said to have been living in the area with her Egyptian husband for five years, and appeared to have been snorkelling when the fatal incident occurred.
Earlier reports stated that the shark responsible for the bites that led to her death was thought to be a mako. A source has told Divernet that it is now suspected to have been an oceanic whiteteip shark, although this has yet to be confirmed.
