A tourist whose body was ravaged by sharks was dead before he was eaten, a new study has revealed.
According to a study prepared by a committee of environmental researchers from the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association in the Red Sea and the Red Sea Protected areas, a shark that recently bit part of a dead Swiss diver's body in Egypt, was not the cause of his death.
According to the committee, the death of the diver was instead caused by a diving accident.
A tiger shark that appeared in the area of Elfenston Reefs in Marsa Alam was suspected of killing the diver.
However, a number of divers testified that the victim was already dead before the attack.
One reported that he saw a tiger shark biting the body of the victim, adding that the shark cut off the right arm and part of the shoulder.
Eyewitness reports claim the beast was between four and five metres long.
The committee’s report said that it was clear that the tiger shark was only checking to see if the diver was prey, but did not actually feed on him.
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The shark would have bitten the corpse many times if it did want to feed, as a tiger shark can eat more than 40-50kgs in one meal, the report added.
The committee said: “The death was the result of a diving accident, and that the incident did not go beyond a tiger shark tasting the corpse by biting part of the victim, and most likely spitted it out, meaning that the attack was not for the purpose of feeding, and therefore [the shark’s] behaviour was normal.”
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