temporary signage Fish Hoek beach - February 2010
CITY OF CAPE TOWN - MEDIA RELEASE - 04 FEBRUARY 2010
City warns beach users of high shark activity
The City of Cape Town would like to warn beach users of high shark activity on the False Bay coast observed during the past few days, especially at Fish Hoek, St. James and Muizenberg beaches. This increased shark activity is most likely the result of high biological activity in the Bay, such as the presence of seals and schools of Yellowtail.
On beaches monitored by the Shark Spotters, the normal shark warning flags will be used. However, the public should note that in addition to these flags, a red flag will be flown throughout the day. This red flag serves as a warning of increased sightings of sharks in False Bay.
The City urges the public to be cautious and mindful of safety warnings. If shark warnings are sounded, they should leave the water immediately and not return to it until the Shark Spotters have indicated that it is safe to do so. In addition, the public is encouraged to:
• Ensure that they swim in groups;
• Ensure that they are visible to other people;
• Refrain from swimming when there are marine mammals (whales, dolphins, seals) in the area;
• Refrain from swimming when a marine mammal or carcass has washed out on the beach;
• Refrain from swimming when there is a stranded marine mammal in the area.
Gert Bam, Director of Sport, Recreation and Amenities, encourages the public to acquaint themselves with the warning signals issued by the Shark Spotters when arriving at the beach. “The public should make a point of reading information signage provided on the beach and familiarising themselves with the colour-coded flags; they can enquire with a Shark Spotter based at the beach if necessary,” he said.
Shark Spotter flags indicate the following:
Green Flag: A Shark Spotter is on duty and visibility is good. There are no sharks in the area.
Red Flag: A shark has been spotted in the area in the last two hours.
Black Flag: A Shark Spotter is on duty but visibility is poor.
White Flag with black shark: There is a shark in the area. A siren is simultaneously sounded to clear the beach. Swimmers must stay out of the water until the flag is lowered.
In an emergency, the public should please dial 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from a cell phone.
“We urge the public to always read the signage and familiarise themselves with the flag system at Cape Town’s beaches. In this way they can relax and enjoy themselves at some of the most beautiful beaches in the world,” said Bam.
Further information on the flag system is provided below.
End
Issued by: Communication Department, City of Cape Town
Media enquiries: Gert Bam, Director: Sport, Recreation and Amenities, Tel: 021 400 5090 Cell: 084 222 1242
Sakhile Tsotsobe, Coastal Coordinator: Sport, Recreation and Amenities, Tel: 021 400 4638 Cell: 074 185 0123
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Body parts spotted after shark attack
By Caryn Dolley January 14 2010 at 07:12AM
Condolences have started pouring in for the family of a tourist killed by a shark on Tuesday and at the same time a review detailing his attack has been compiled.
The review is expected to be released within a few days.
Lloyd Skinner, 37, an engineer from Harare, Zimbabwe, and UCT MBA graduate, was killed in front of a number of beach-goers two days ago while swimming at Fish Hoek.
On Skinner's Facebook account yesterday a friend, Gayle Reid, said: "Devastated by the news about Lloyd Skinner, taken by a shark on Fish Hoek beach yesterday, such a wonderful guy, so so sorry, love to his family."
Another friend, Cheryl Diane Nicholls, wrote: "My dear Skinner family, so sad and crushed, my love and thoughts and prayers are with you all."
Clint Skinner, a relative, replied that the well wishes and thoughts were "all we needed".
He said relatives, including Skinner's parents, John and Maggie, were flying to Cape Town.
Skinner's facebook account said he was in a relationship with Debra Paine.
A woman had been at the beach at the time of the attack but the Cape Times could yesterday not establish her name.
She was receiving trauma counselling.
Gregg Oelofse, head of the city's environmental policy and strategy, said he last night completed a review, based on information from witnesses, rescuers and others, into Tuesday's attack.
He said it would be made public possibly by tomorrow.
Oelofse and Finance, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Alan Winde extended their condolences to Skinner's family.
Ian Klopper, the National Sea Rescue Institute's (NSRI) helicopter duty commander, said an intense search was still being conducted to try and find Skinner's body.
He said a number of people had called in to say they had spotted body parts in the water but rescuers had not found anything.
"We don't expect to find anything," Klopper said.
He and others, rescuers and shark spotters, were "almost dead certain" a Great White shark had attacked Skinner.
Klopper said Tuesday's attack was "very out of character" as sharks usually bit their prey once but in the case with Skinner the shark, according to witnesses, had gone for Skinner twice and had then disappeared with his body.
Klopper said there had been four shark spottings in the Fish Hoek area early yesterday.
As a precaution, swimmers were prevented from entering the water at beaches from Glencairn to Muizenberg as conditions were not favourable for shark monitoring.
When the Cape Times team later flew in a helicopter along the coastline, it spotted at least five sharks in the vicinity of Muizenberg beach.
At one point three sharks swam near to each other forming the points of a triangle. The tips of their fins could be seen just peaking from the water.
In the background a number of fishers and beach-goers could be seen but none was swimming or wading out.
At Fish Hoek no one could be seen swimming in the water either but a number of people were on the shore.
The City of Cape Town yesterday issued warnings to bathers saying they should remain in shallow water and should not swim alone.
Bathers were also advised to have a someone watch them while they were in the water.
Gerhard Ras, sport and recreational mayoral committee member, said residents could visit closed beaches but would not be allowed to enter the water.
He said beach managers would update the public when beaches were re-opened.
In November 2004, a Fish Hoek woman, Tyna Webb, 77, was killed by a shark while swimming about 150 metres from the shore at about 7am. The fatal attack was said to have been the first in the area in more than a century.
caryn.dolley@inl.co.za
This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Times on January 14, 2010
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Hunt for shark after attack
By Bronwynne Jooste, Murray Williams and Kowthar Solomons
Staff Reporters January 13 2010 at 01:43PM
The shark alarm was sounded along the False Bay coast soon after 9am today and authorities closed beaches from Strandfontein to Glencairn after a man was killed in a shark attack yesterday.
The attack, believed to have been by a great white shark, has added urgency to talks already under way between shark researchers and the City of Cape Town over a proposal to introduce real-time monitoring of the activity of tagged sharks in False Bay.
Meanwhile, shark researchers took to the water this morning to try to find the shark that attacked Lloyd Skinner, 37.
Several bathers at Fish Hoek beach ignored the flags alerting them to sharks in the area, enjoying their usual early morning swim. Lifeguards and city law enforcement officials were kept busy asking people to get out of the water.
The lifeguards came on duty at 7am today instead of their usual 10am start and will remain on duty until 6pm.
Fish Hoek resident Duncan Temple-Forbes said today that the incident had made him wary, but added that he would continue to swim at the beach.
Another, Jo Cullingworth, said residents were still in shock.
A lifeguard, who declined to be named, described yesterday's attack.
"I saw the fin. I stood up and saw it do a 360 and then it spun around. It took the guy under.
"The shark's tail came out of the water. It was a big animal."
He alerted the other lifeguards by shouting "Shark, shark!" and then frantically ran from his tower on the beach into the surf.
"I was shouting: 'Shark,shark!' These bathers were about 15m away and not seeing what was happening.
"Then it was over. There was this pool of blood in the water."
Police spokesman November Filander said Skinner, a Zimbabwean on holiday, was swimming 100m from shore at 3.15pm when he was attacked by the shark.
Yesterday witnesses said the shark had attacked from a bend near the shore, a spot where they are regularly sighted.
Low visibility in the water had made it impossible for Skinner to react until it was too late.
After the initial attack, the shark had appeared to head back into deeper water, only to attack for a second time, lifeguards and other witnesses said.
Witness Kathy Geldenhuys said she had seen "what looked like a 5m shark rising from the water" and biting Skinner.
She described the water at the site of attack as "stained with blood".
Geldenhuys said she had started screaming "Shark!" and other swimmers had immediately got out of the water.
National Sea Rescue Institute's Ian Klopper led a team of lifeguards, three small vessels and a helicopter as they searched the shallows for the body.
The search continued at first light today.
"We have cancelled the air and sea search as it is no longer a search but a recovery.
"We are patrolling the beach," Klopper said.
Alison Kock, the white shark project leader with the Save Our Seas Foundation and Shark Spotters, said: "The Fish Hoek area is a home to the sharks so it wouldn't be uncommon for a shark sighting, especially during this season.
"Over the past weekend alone, we recorded 19 shark sighting between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay.
"Only one of those sightings was reported in Fish Hoek."
The poor visibility in the water had prevented the shark spotters from seeing the animal.
The last fatal shark attack in Fish Hoek was in November 2004 when Tyna Webb, 77, was killed by a shark after swimming 60m off Jagger Walk.
Professor Evan Gilbert, a former senior lecturer in finance at UCT's Graduate School of Business, said Skinner, an MBA student in 2003, had been a quiet, dedicated person.
Meanwhile, sophisticated monitoring equipment is to be discussed again soon in earnest between shark experts and the City of Cape Town. -
Additional reporting by Jade Witten
This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Argus on January 13, 2010
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Officials battle to keep bathers out of the water in False Bay
By Khanyisa Tabata
13 January 2010
While a heat wave pounds the Cape Peninsula with temperatures well into the thirties, many people are ignoring shark warnings and are flocking to the beaches to cool off.
Officials say the almost continuous wailing of the warning sirens at Fish Hoek has kept most swimmers out of the water, but there are a few who venture in up to their knees.
DRC tourist 37-year-old Lloyd Skinner was taken by a Great White at Fish Hoek in waist deep water yesterday. Only his swimming goggles have been found.
Officials say the beaches will remain officially closed until it is safe to go into the water again.
Western Cape MEC responsible for tourism Alan Winde says the Province is doing everything in its power to ease the grief and pain of Skinner’s family.
Winde says that while there is little one can do to ease the emotional pain, his department will assist the family with logistical matters.
posted by Bush Radio News Team @ Wednesday, January 13, 2010
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'It's a risk every time you get in the water'
January 13 2010 at 04:13PM
Beaches from Glencairn to Muizenberg will be closed until further notice after a man was attacked by a shark while swimming at Fish Hoek beach on Tuesday afternoon, the City of Cape Town said.
"All beaches from Glencairn to Muizenberg will remain closed until the city is satisfied that the conditions for the monitoring of sharks have improved," according to a statement issued on Wednesday.
"It is likely that visibility for shark spotting will improve later this afternoon. The public will be informed as soon as there are any changes to the current situation."
The man, 37-year-old Lloyd Skinner from Zimbabwe, was neck deep in the water when he was attacked around 3pm.
'I would be amazed if we found anything now'
Witnesses spoke of seeing a fin and blood as he disappeared under the water.
The National Rescue Institute, the police and members of the public, armed with binoculars, have been searching for Skinner's body since the attack. So far only his swimming goggles have been found.
"I would be amazed if we found anything now," NSRI spokesperson Ian Klopper said.
"The shark attacked him three times. It didn't bite him and let him go. It came back and carried on eating."
Klopper said the NSRI had been receiving repeated reports of body parts being washed up on the beach, but none had been factual.
'There are a lot of sharks around at the moment'
He said the NSRI was preparing to end its search on Wednesday afternoon.
Beachgoers at Fish Hoek were only able to walk ankle deep in the water as the white and black shark flags waved around the beach and temperatures soared above 30 degrees Celsius in the city.
"You've got to be stupid to get in the water right now," Fish Hoek resident Eddie Roth said.
"There are a lot of sharks around at the moment."
Roth, who paddles regularly around Fish Hoek, said he and wife Allison had seen a four-metre-long great white beyond the kelp near the rocks on the side of the beach on Wednesday morning.
"We heard a shark and we came to take a look. When we got to the beach we saw a four-metre great white swimming very close to the rocks. It was just beyond the kelp."
Roth said he would keep on paddling despite the attack.
"It's a risk every time you get in the water, but normally there's very little chance of being attacked by a shark."
The city meanwhile appealed to bathers to remain in shallow water, no deeper than the waist.
People should not swim alone, but rather stay in a group. All swimmers should make sure there is a friend or family member who can see them while they are in the water.
The city will conduct an extensive review of the attack.
"Once all the information has been compiled, it will be made available to the public", said Gregg Oelofse, the head of the city's environmental policy and strategy department.
"The City would like to extend its sincere condolences to the victim's family. As a City, we pride ourselves on having one of the most beautiful coastlines for everyone to enjoy and events like yesterday are particularly sad for Cape Town."
A howling southeaster wind had caused poor visibility at Fish Hoek and other beaches on Tuesday afternoon, when the attack took place.
Shark spotters from the city's Shark Spotting Programme, on duty at Fish Hoek beach at the time of the attack, had raised the black flag to warn the public of poor visibility. The last fatal shark attack in Cape Town was in 2005. Spotters have reported more than 570 shark sightings since November 2004.
There have been frequent sightings in the past month.
An alert was sent out on Sunday after eight sightings were recorded between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay on Friday and Saturday. - Sapa
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Shark kills bather at top beach - Google News 13-01-2010
Tourist attacked in shallow water
Jan 12, 2010 10:17 PM | By LAUREN COHEN
A Zimbabwean tourist on a month-long holiday lost his life in a shark attack in Fish Hoek, Cape Town.
"Lifeguard Frederick Wagenvoorde was on his tower and saw lots of splashing and thrashing around in the water, and then a lot of blood," said Colleen Saunders, regional co-ordinator for Life-saving, Western Province.
The attack happened at 3.15pm. Other bathers were unaware of the attack until lifeguards signalled to them to get out of the water.
The man's partner was on the beach but, it is understood, did not see the attack.
Three craft from the National Sea Rescue Institute, a dinghy from Western Province Lifesaving, a helicopter and about 15 lifeguards combed sea, air and land yesterday in search of the victim.
His body had not been found by late last night.
"The man has been identified but [his] family has not yet been notified," Saunders said.
The man, who lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was due to spend a month in South Africa with his partner before leaving for the UK.
One of his two daughters lives in Kenya and the other in the US.
They had not been told of their father's death at the time of going to press last night.
The NSRI's Ian Klopper said the man was standing chest-deep in the water adjusting his goggles when he was dragged below the surface.
"The man's partner was here but we have sent her home. She is very shocked but is remaining hopeful, but the outlook does not look good," Klopper said.
Eye witness, Sally Wentworth, who lives on the mountainside overlooking the beach, said she heard shouting, looked outside and saw "red in the sea".
"At first it looked as if there were dolphins, a flurry in the water. Then I saw something floating in the water, obviously the body, and the shark's fin coming up, well above the water. It was not a nice thing to have witnessed."
Wentworth said the attack was over in about three minutes.
"We normally hear the siren [sounded by shark-spotters, warning swimmers to leave the water] but not this time. The black flag was out indicating conditions were too difficult for shark-spotters to see into the water," she said.
Cheryl-Samantha Owen, of the Save Our Seas Foundation, said the attack was the first indication that sharks were in the area.
The NSRI put out an alert on Monday to warn surfers and swimmers about increased shark activity in False Bay.
In 2004, regular Fish Hoek beach swimmer Tyna Webb, 77, was attacked by what was believed to have been a Great White shark. Her body was not found.
Alison Kock, director of research for the shark-spotting programme, which records behaviour and movement of the sharks, said the previous attack on a swimmer was in 2007.
"We have daily sightings but attacks are pretty rare," he said.
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Shark attack in water two-metres deep
13 January 2010, 06:39 By Caryn Dolley, Jo-Anne Smetherham and Michelle Jones
A Fish Hoek resident has described how the jaws of a "giant" shark clamped down on a swimmer just metres from other beach-goers.
"Holy sh*t. We just saw a gigantic shark eat what looked like a person in front of our house ... That shark was huge. Like dinosaur huge," Gregg Coppen posted on his Twitter account yesterday.
Witness Tweets shark-attack as it happens.
He witnessed the attack from his home near the beach.
The swimmer, a 37-year-old man from the Democratic Republic of Congo, on holiday in the country for a month, then disappeared underwater at Fish Hoek beach.
The search was called off as light faded last night and rescuers were expected to continue searching for his body this morning.
Last night the man could not be identified as most of his relatives had not been told about the attack.
His girlfriend who was at the beach with him, had been taken away from the scene and given trauma counselling.
Fish Hoek police station spokesperson, Peter Middleton, said an inquest docket had been opened.
He said he was shocked to hear the attack happened in water about two metres deep.
Kyle Johnston, of Diep River, said he and his friends had been swimming near the man when the shark struck.
"We were swimming only about 15 metres away from the guy. We were at about chest depth and he was a little deeper.
"We looked at the walkway and saw people waving towels at us, then we looked further out to sea and saw what looked like blood, and a man's leg come up."
"I was floating and I thought the people waving at us were joking, but then I looked back and saw a fin and blood," said his friend Dane Leo.
Irishman Denis Lundon, who was on Jager Walk, saw "several bits of fish" that might have been parts of a single shark emerging from the water, then a swimmer being thrust chest-high out of the sea.
"I jumped, waved my hat and roared and screamed at swimmers to get out of the water. I never want to experience this again. I'm going to block it out of my mind," he said.
"We saw the shark come back twice," Lundon's friend Phyllis McCartain, from Arondel in England, said.
"It had the man's body in its mouth, and his arm was in the air. Then the sea was full of blood."
Kathy Geldenhuys was sitting on a nearby bench with her husband at the time of the attack. "My husband had just pointed out how far the man was swimming from the other people. He asked what would happen if he was attacked by a shark, because he was so far away. The words were hardly cold when the shark attacked that man. The shark attacked twice; it turned and attacked the man again; I just saw the blood on the water."
Geldenhuys said she hadn't seen the shark before it attacked the man. "Only when it was attacking did I see the fin, but then I could see the whole body under the water. It was a very big shark."
Later, speaking to the Cape Times, Coppen described the shark as being "longer than a minibus and the rubber ducks lifeguards use".
"It was this giant shadow heading to something colourful. Then it sort of came out the water and took this colourful lump and went off with it. You could see it's whole jaw wrap around the thing which turned out to be a person," Coppen said.
He then saw people running around on the beach.
The National Sea Rescue Institute's helicopter duty commander Ian Klopper said a number of witnesses had reported seeing the man about 100 metres from the shore when the shark attacked.
Afterwards his body could not be located and Metro Red Cross Air Mercy Service spokeswoman Vanessa Horn said it appeared the shark had dragged the body with it.
The helicopter had headed towards Kalk Bay as that was the direction the shark had swum in, but it was not spotted. Klopper said aside from the rescue helicopter, four vessels were at sea trying to locate the man's body and rescuers were also doing patrols on the shoreline.
Shark scientist Alison Kock, speaking at a media briefing at the Fish Hoek Lifesaving Club, said eight sharks had been spotted between Muizenberg and St James last Friday, another eight on Saturday, and one on Sunday.
"We don't want people to panic," she said.
"But do be vigilant. We know sharks live here. Don't swim far out or by yourself, or if there have been lots of fish activity in the area."
Kock said the shark was very likely a Great White, the most commonly spotted shark in the area.
After a fatal attack at Fish Hoek five years ago, shark spotters were posted on the mountain slopes to look for sharks close to False Bay swimming spots.
At Fish Hoek, flags are raised to indicate whether sharks were spotted.
Fish Hoek Lifesaving spokesman Clive Wakeford said yesterday a black flag, which denotes poor visibility, was flying at the time of the attack.
A white flag with a black shark on it was raised immediately after the attack, and lifeguards began telling people to leave the water and the beach.
Yesterday's attack happened hours after the city's disaster risk management centre spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes warned bathers to be on the look-out for sharks in the Fish Hoek area.
caryn.dolley@inl.co.za
michelle.jones@inl.co.za
This article was originally published on page 1 of The Cape Times on January 13, 2010
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Man dies in CT shark attack
2010-01-12 17:10 - Duncan Alfreds
Cape Town - The NSRI has confirmed that a swimmer has been the victim of a shark attack at Fish Hoek beach near Cape Town.
Ian Klopper of the NSRI told News24 that an intensive search was underway to locate the swimmer, but had so far yielded nothing.
"A white male, between 32 and 38 years old has been taken by a shark and we have not been able to locate the patient," Klopper said. The identity of the victim is still unknown.
Twitter users also confirmed the attack.
"Holy sh*t, we just saw a GIGANTIC shark eat what looked like a person right in front of our house in fishhoek. Unbelievable," wrote skabenga.
Bathers have been warned by Cape Town Disaster management to be on the lookout for great white sharks which traditionally cruise this stretch of the coast at this time of year.
"The appearance of white sharks is normal during peak summer months in Cape Town near in-shore areas, as these sharks are known to hunt and feed along this stretch of coastline at this time of year," spokesperson Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said on Tuesday.
IOL
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ONLY WAIST DEEP ?
Unconfirmed reports state that the shark severed the man's lower torso before circling and returning for the remainder. Onlookers also describe how the man was "only waist deep" in the water when the shark initially attacked him suggesting that it was in less than a metre of water. The two phase attack also may explain why many onlookers thought that a second man a "rescuer" was also a victim of this attack.
and BATHERS.... !!!
The webmaster of this site and a colleague witnessed the desperate search by rubber duck and speedboat for the body or other remains in very choppy sea with a strong South Easterly wind. Despite the flying of the shark flag on the beach we were astonished to see a middle aged couple walk into and start bathing in the sea about 15 metres from the water's edge while the search was in progress. They were it seems the only people on the beach at the time. Did they not think this strange? From their location they had come onto the beach from the Trek Fishermens' launch area to the northern side of the main beach and were seemingly unaware of the attack or the shark warning visible to the southern end. They were however not long in the water, the search was called off by dusk at 19:30 and the flag was taken down shortly thereafter.
- Donald Gill :: www.fishhoek.com
R.I.P to the unfortunate victims of shark attacks worldwide and heartfelt condolences to your families. In the midst of your sorrows at these times, you too are not forgotten.
NB: acknowledgments and disclaimer: The news reports included in this page were copied and reproduced without the prior consent of the agencies concerned. They are provided for the benefit of readers both local and international. All reports are credited to their authors and you are strongly encouraged to follow the links provided to browse them at source. (Consents are currently being sought).
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Cape Times 12/1/10 23:00
"Blood in the water was all I could see"
By Caryn Dolley, Jo-Anna Smetherham and Michelle Jones
A Fish Hoek resident has described how the jaws of a giant shark clamped down on a swimmer just metres from other beach-goers.
"Holy sh*t. We just saw a gigantic shark eat what looked like a person in front of our house... That shark was huge. Like dinosaur huge," Gregg Coppen posted on his Twitter account on Tuesday (see Witness Tweets shark-attack as it happens for Coppen's tweets).
He witnessed the attack from his home near the beach.
The swimmer then disappeared underwater at Fish Hoek beach. The 37-year-old from Harare, Zimbabwe, had been living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and had been on holiday in South Africa.
The search was called off as light faded last night and rescuers were expected to continue searching for his body on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday night, the man could not be named as most of his relatives had not been told about the attack.
His girlfriend, who was at the beach with him, had been taken away from the scene and given trauma counselling.
Fish Hoek police station spokesperson Peter Middleton said an inquest docket had been opened.
He said he was shocked to hear the attack happened in water about two metres deep.
Kyle Johnston, of Diep River, said he and his friends had been swimming near the man when the shark struck.
"We were swimming only about 15 metres away from the guy. We were at about chest depth and he was a little deeper.
"We looked at the walkway and saw people waving towels at us, then we looked further out to sea and saw what looked like blood, and a man's leg come up."
"I was floating and I thought the people waving at us were joking, but then I looked back and saw a fin and blood," his friend Dane Leo said.
Irishman Denis Lundon, who was on Jager Walk, saw "several bits of fish" that might have been parts of a single shark emerging from the water, then a swimmer being thrust chest-high out of the sea.
"I jumped, waved my hat and roared and screamed at swimmers to get out of the water. I never want to experience this again. I'm going to block it out of my mind," he said.
"We saw the shark come back twice," Lundon's friend Phyllis McCartain, from England, said.
"It had the man's body in its mouth, and his arm was in the air. Then the sea was full of blood."
Kathy Geldenhuys was sitting on a nearby bench with her husband at the time of the attack. "My husband had just pointed out how far the man was swimming from the other people. He asked what would happen if he was attacked by a shark, because he was so far away. The words were hardly cold when the shark attacked that man. The shark attacked twice; it turned and attacked the man again; I just saw the blood on the water."
Geldenhuys said she hadn't seen the shark before it attacked the man. "Only when it was attacking did I see the fin, but then I could see the whole body under the water. It was a very big shark."
Later, speaking to the Cape Times, Coppen described the shark as being "longer than a minibus and the rubber ducks lifeguards use".
"It was this giant shadow heading to something colourful. Then it sort of came out the water and took this colourful lump and went off with it. You could see it's whole jaw wrap around the thing which turned out to be a person," Coppen said.
He then saw people running around on the beach.
The National Sea Rescue Institute's helicopter duty commander Ian Klopper said a number of witnesses had reported seeing the man about 100 metres from the shore when the shark attacked.
Afterwards his body could not be located and Metro Red Cross Air Mercy Service spokesperson Vanessa Horn said it appeared the shark had dragged the body with it.
The helicopter had headed towards Kalk Bay as that was the direction the shark had swum in, but it was not spotted. Klopper said aside from the rescue helicopter, four vessels were at sea trying to locate the man's body and rescuers were also doing patrols on the shoreline.
Shark scientist Alison Kock, speaking at a media briefing at the Fish Hoek Lifesaving Club, said eight sharks had been spotted between Muizenberg and St James last Friday, another eight on Saturday, and one on Sunday.
"We don't want people to panic," she said.
"But do be vigilant. We know sharks live here. Don't swim far out or by yourself, or if there have been lots of fish activity in the area."
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Search for shark attack victim called off
12 January 2010, 19:00
Witness Tweets shark-attack as it happens.
By Caryn Dolley
The search has been called off for the night for the body of a tourist from the Democratic Republic of Congo killed in a shark attack on Tuesday afternoon at Fish Hoek beach on Cape Town's False Bay coast.
Divers and rescuers from the police and the National Sea Rescue Institute stood down as the water turned murky in failing light.
There has thus far been no remains found of the man who had been on holiday in SA for a month.
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"That shark was huge. Like a dinosaur, huge"
12 January 2010, 19:52
Witness Tweets shark-attack as it happens.
By Caryn Dolley, Jo-Anne Smetherham and Michelle Jones
A Fish Hoek resident has described how the jaws of a"giant" shark clamped down on a swimmer just metres from other beach-goers.
"Holy sh*t. We just saw a gigantic shark eat what looked like a person in front of our house... That shark was huge. Like dinosaur huge," Gregg Coppen posted on his Twitter account on Tuesday.
He witnessed the attack from his home near the beach.
The swimmer, a 37-year-old man from the Democratic Republic of Congo and on holiday in the country for a month, then disappeared underwater at Fish Hoek beach.
caryn.dolley@inl.co.za
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DRC tourist succumbs to a fatal shark attack
12 January 2010, 18:28
Witness Tweets shark-attack as it happens.
By Caryn Dolley
A tourist from the Democratic Republic of Congo succumbed to a fatal shark attack at Fish Hoek on Cape Town's False Bay coast this afternoon.
The man who had been on holiday in SA for a month, could not be identified as most of his relatives had not been informed.
A woman, believed to be his wife and who was at the beach with him, had been taken away from the scene and given trauma counselling.
Fish Hoek resident Gregg Coppen witnessed the attack from his home near the beach.
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This warning was issued 4/5 hrs before the fatal attack............
Cape Town issues shark warning
12 January 2010, 12:14
Cape Town's disaster management warned bathers to be on the lookout for Great White sharks which traditionally cruise that stretch of the coast for a nibble at this time of year.
"The appearance of White sharks is normal during peak summer months in Cape Town near in-shore areas, as these sharks are known to hunt and feed along this stretch of coastline at this time of year," spokesperson Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said on Tuesday.
The sharks have not been seen coming close to the beaches or near swimmers. Shark spotters have seen them along the False Bay coastline between Sunrise Beach and Fish Hoek.
Bathers and swimmers along the False Bay coastline are urged to be cautious and to adhere to the safety warnings of shark spotters.
When the spotters sound their alarms to warn of shark sightings near to bathing and surfing areas, bathers and surfers must leave the water immediately until the danger passes.
Information on recent shark movements in False Bay is available on the Shark Spotters website www.sharkspotters.org.za - Sapa
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This report was posted at 17:03
Man missing after suspected shark attack in Fish Hoek
Jan 12, 2010 5:03 PM | By Staff Reporter
The Fish Hoek Surf Life Saving Club and law enforcement have launched a search for a man believed to have been attacked by a shark while swimming at Fish Hoek beach which has become notorious for Great White Shark attacks.
According to spokesman for the Western Life Saving Club spokesman, Keith Mathews, a man is believed to have been pulled under by a shark while swimming about 20 metres out to sea. He said the people around him were not aware of what was happening when he was pulled under.
Lifesavers promptly sounded the siren for swimmers to get out of the water.
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the shark took this bite out of the surf-ski
