Woman killed by shark amid 'unusual' spike in activity around South African beaches
A woman has been killed by a shark in South Africa, prompting authorities to issue a warning about an "unusual" spike in the predators' activity around beaches.
Authorities were called to Plettenberg Bay, a popular holiday destination on the Western Cape, just before 8am Sunday after receiving reports of the attack.
On arrival, National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) teams and local authorities found and retrieved a body - believed to be a 39-year-old female - from Central Beach around 20 metres from shore.
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The scene where the shark incident occurred in Plettenberg Bay. NSRI
It is believed the woman was on holiday from Cape Town to celebrate a public holiday.
According to local reports, the woman's husband and child were on the scene.
A great white shark is believed responsible for the attack.
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File: White sharks (pictured), bull sharks and tiger sharks are the three species responsible for the most attacks in South Africa. AP
Witnesses said the mauling occurred in relatively shallow water.
"It was a bit cloudy but there was some sun out and there were quite a few people taking an early dip as the temperature was quite warm," an eye witness told rescuers, according to local media outlets.
"Then I just heard lots of screaming and saw people running out the water.
"'I then heard a woman had been attacked while swimming only two or three waves out so it was quite shallow but it was said nothing could be done to help her".
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Beaches have been closed in Plettenberg Bay by Bitou Municipality following the attack.
"Police have taken the body into their care together with government health forensic pathology services and police have opened an inquest docket," NSRI said in a statement.
"The NSRI and the Bitou Municipality appeal to the public to be cautious along the Plettenberg Bay and Southern Cape coastline."
NSRI noted there has been a spike in shark activity around beaches in the area.
"At this moment there seems to be more shark activities around our beaches," it said.
"This is very unusual when compared with previous years.
"The Bitou Council in May approved research on a shark barrier at Central Beach.
"This study will go a long way to assist in understanding the behaviour of the sharks."
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The attack comes less than three months after another fatal mauling in the area in June.
In total there have been a total of 248 unprovoked attacks in South Africa since records started in 1905.
The majority of these have occurred in the Eastern Cape, 90 in KwaZulu-Natal and 55 in the Western Cape.
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