A DOCTOR has been savagely mauled to death in a suspected shark attack in front of his horrified relatives.
The 55-year-old was reportedly out windsurfing on a popular beach in New Caledonia when he was seen being thrashed around the water and left with fatal injuries to his arms and legs.
The man’s body was found floating in the nearby lagoon by a group of sailors who were out on their boats on Sunday afternoon, according to firefighters.
They pulled the doctor onto the beach and attempted to revive him but he was confirmed dead by medics shortly after, Nouvelle-Caledonie Prevention Requin said.
Officials said the injuries to his right forearm, leg and left tibia were consistent with a shark attack.
His windsurfing board was also found with a chunk taken out of it appearing to be from an animal bite.
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More than a dozen police officers were deployed to protect the area as the beach was closed off to the public.
Specialist teams were sent to keep an eye on members of the victim’s family who were on the beach at the time, local cops said.
An autopsy is underway to confirm the doctor’s cause of death.
Nouméa prosecutor Yves Dupas urged caution saying: “We do not yet know how the attack unfolded. We are trying to determine the circumstances.”
The Nouvelle-Caledonie Prevention Requin confirmed the tragic death online.
They said: “A man lost his life after a shark attack, in the area of the Château Royal beach, in Nouméa.
“Late Sunday afternoon, rescue teams were at the scene and the beach was evacuated.”
The beach, near Noumea, was described as “particularly busy” over the weekend.
New Caledonia is often cited as a shark hotspot with a number of fatal attacks happening on the French holiday territory in the South Pacific.
In 2023, a 59-year-old Australian tourist was mauled to death by a shark which bit him several times on the arms and legs.
Horror CCTV footage showed the man splashing in the water as the shark attacked him.
Two people on a nearby jet-ski rushed the victim back to the beach, where emergency services tried to save him.
Days earlier, a 49-year-old swimmer was seriously injured just days before.
New Caledonia’s travel and tourism website specifically warns tourists about the risks of sharks in the waters.
They warn: “Avoid swimming at certain times of day, such as dawn, dusk, or after heavy rainfall, when water visibility is low and sharks are more likely to be hunting.”
Visitors are also told to never try to engage in water activities alone – such as windsurfing – as the extreme movements can attract predators.
