An Australian tourist was killed by a shark in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia on Sunday. According to the authorities, the 59-year-old was swimming about 150 meters from the beach in the capital Nouméa in the sea when the shark attacked and bit him several times. Two sailors who were nearby brought the man back to shore in their boat.

There, rescue workers tried in vain to revive him. The man had bite marks on one leg and both arms, prosecutor Yves Dupas told the AFP news agency.

At the time of the shark attack, crowds were bathing off Château Royal Beach to the south of the Pacific archipelago's capital. Panic set in, everyone rushed out of the water.

Mayor Sonia Lagarde ordered most beaches closed. Drones were then deployed to aerially track tiger and bull sharks in the area. Two sharks were sighted before the search was called off at nightfall, police said.

According to the prosecutor, an investigation should clarify the exact circumstances of the attack in the area monitored by lifeguards.

Last month, a 49-year-old swimmer was seriously injured by a shark, also near Château-Royal beach. A surfer who was attacked by a shark a few days later survived the attack unscathed.

New Caledonia is about 1200 kilometers east of Australia in the Pacific. The Florida Museum of Natural History ranked New Caledonia the 13th most shark attack place in the world.

Watch the video: This 12-year-old boy from Massachusetts is literally making a big catch! The battle with the gigantic predatory fish lasts 45 minutes.