Killer shark that ate tourist at beach in Egypt caught and paraded by fishermen - who punch and kick its dead body

9 June 2023, 10:01 | Updated: 9 June 2023, 10:16

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

A shark that killed a Russian tourist in the sea off an Egyptian tourist resort has been caught by fishermen, who have been seen punching and kicking its dead body.

Vladimir Popov, 23, died after being attacked by a tiger shark near the city of Hurghada, Egypt's environment ministry has confirmed.

Mr Popov's father has spoken about how he was forced to watch his son being mauled to death by the tiger, as he screamed "papa, save me".

"We went to the beach to relax," Yury Popov told the 112 media outlet. "My son was attacked by a shark, it all happened in seconds."

"What kind of help can you give? This meat grinder happened in 20 seconds, he was just dragged under the water," he added.

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Mr Popov continued: "This is an absolutely ridiculous coincidence, because it is a safe beach. There are ships and yachts around. It's never happened there. They usually attack on wild beaches. It's just some kind of evil fate."

Footage taken after the attack appears to show the shark being caught by fishermen, who drag it ashore. They appear to attack the shark's dead body.

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A graphic video of the attack shows several people swimming away from the shark.

They all reach safety, other than Mr Popov, who is seen thrashing about in the water before being repeatedly attacked by a shark circling around him, then being dragged under.

Shark attacks are rare in the Red Sea coastal regions.

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However, in 2022 there were two fatal attacks in Hurghada within days, killing an Austrian and a Romanian tourist.

Egypt's Red Sea resorts, including Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh, boast some of the country's most renowned beach destinations and are popular with European tourists.

Divers are attracted by the steep drop-offs of coral reefs just offshore, which offer a rich and colourful sea life.