A British man has died after he was attacked by a shark while snorkelling just metres from the beach during his honeymoon in the Seychelles.
The Foreign Office has confirmed Ian Redmond, from Lancashire, was killed as he swam off Anse Lazio beach, on the island of Praslin. It is believed 30-year-old Mr Redmond - married less than two weeks ago - was around 20 yards from the shore where his 27-year-old wife, Gemma Houghton, was sitting. Witnesses described how first aid was given to him after he was brought to the beach. He had lost one arm and had serious wounds to his legs and chest. Jeanne Vargiolu, 56, the owner of Le Chevalier restaurant on the beach, said she saw Ms Houghton saying she "still had hope" for her husband while he lay on the beach with horrific injuries.
The Seychelles are renowned as a honeymoon destination But police said he had "no chance of surviving" because of the nature of his injuries. Ms Vargiolu told Sky News: "I heard an ambulance was coming to the beach and I went around and saw somebody on the floor. "I asked a policeman and he said it was a shark attack." A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are providing consular assistance to the next of kin." The location is regularly voted as one of the best beaches in the world and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge recently had their honeymoon on the same island chain.
Mr Redmond's new wife Gemma Houghton but this is the second fatal shark attack this month after a 36-year-old French tourist was killed on August 2. A Seychelles government minister chaired an emergency meeting on Tuesday night to discuss the freak attacks and later released a statement announcing a swimming ban. "With immediate effect, the Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration has issued a temporary ban on swimming or entering the water in certain bays of the island of Praslin and islands off the coast of Praslin."
They are the first fatal attacks around the small Indian Ocean nation for almost 50 years, prompting speculation the deaths were the result of a single shark.
Australian research scientist Dr Jonathan Werry told Sky News that environmental conditions can affect shark behaviour. "They have specific drivers, generally physical or biological drivers, that coincide with their movement into a coastal area," he said. "And in many cases when you look at an attack there are other features that have correlated and led to that attack."
Officials have banned vessels dumping rubbish near beaches
An employee at the four-star La Reserve hotel confirmed that Mr Redmond and his wife were staying at the resort and had been due to fly home on Sunday.
Authorities launched a hunt for the shark and are cautioning beachgoers to only go ankle-deep in water.
Director for tourism Alain St Ange told Sky News they are seeking help from South Africa to help find the animal.
He added: "As a country we are dependent on tourism, we have never had such an accident and it's a country we consider very safe in this troubled world."
Officials have also reinforced a ban on the dumping of waste from yachts and other boats into coastal waters to prevent sharks being lured to beach areas.
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