In an attempt to save a man being attacked by a Great White shark off the coast of a popular New Zealand tourist beach, police fired at least 20 shots to try to stop the animal, but it was too late. The great white shark had mauled the man to death.
Adam Strange, a 46-year-old award-winning film and TV director, was swimming when he was attacked and pulled under the water near Muriwai Beach in front of hundreds of tourists, the Daily Mail reports.
According to the Daily Mail, three more sharks showed up to the attack scene and police shot at them from a lifeboat and a helicopter in an attempt to save Strange. The Great White shark eventually let the man go and swam away.
It took rescuers, including three lifeguards, 30 minutes to get Strange's body.
Pio Mose was fishing when he saw the incident occurred.
"All of a sudden we saw the shark fin and next minute, boom, attack him and then blood everywhere on the water," told stuff.co.nz.
He said strange tried to struggle to get away from the shark, but more sharks came. Mose called the police and a friend went to get help.
"He was still alive. He put his head up. We called him to swim over the rock to where we were. He raised his hand up and then while he was rising his hand up we saw another attack and pull him in the water," Mose recalled. "He came back up. His head was on the water...then we notice he was already dead"
Mose watched as the shark dragged the man's body and other sharks showed up as blood filled the water."
"It's awful - it's scary, like a nightmare to me. I was shaking, scared, panicked. All I was thinking was I wanted to jump in the water and help but I didn't want to get attacked by a shark, too," Mose said.
Great White sharks were seen in the area in recent weeks. Following the incident, the beaches north of Manukau Harbour will be closed for the next two days, including Piha and Muriwai beaches. Several signs were posted to warn swimmers.
Strange was an adventurous film director. In a statement, his family called him a "glorious' person, a 'great father, husband and friend."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
