PORT ST JOHNS, South Africa — A shark that may have been manipulated by local scuba diving operators to associate humans with food attacked and killed a lifeguard in Port St Johns, South Africa. Horrifed onlookers yesterday told how they tried to drag a Wild Coast lifeguard from the jaws of what is believed to have been a tiger shark at a popular beach. Sikhanyiso Bangilizwe, 27, died from massive injuries minutes after he was savaged in the attack at Second Beach in Port St Johns – the second fatal attack on a lifeguard in two years. The drama at the scenic beach happened at 2pm when Bangalizwe and another friend went for a swim to cool down from the heat. Fellow lifeguard Gerald Mtakati told reporters he saw his friend scream and hit the water, before it started turning red with blood. The lifeguards immediately launched a rubber dinghy into the surf. "I just saw blood in the water and quickly grabbed a rubber duck. When I got to him, the shark had already bitten off his hand and his lower back, it was coming in for the third bite," he said. Mtakati, 32, said Bangilizwe was not moving at this stage. His body was just floating in the water. "By the time I got to him, he was not moving and the shark was on the other side, heading towards him. "He was in the centre, between me and shark." "I went past him and headed straight towards the shark to distract it from going in for another bite," said Mtakati. He said the noise from the engine of the dinghy scared the shark off. "Sharks don't like noise so, it eventually left and I went back to him and put his body into the rubber duck." "He was already dead and all I could see was just red meat and blood on his body," said a shocked Mtakati. "I was not thinking when I went out there, I was acting on instinct. I only realised what I had done afterwards and I started shaking," he added. Mtakati said a lot of people on the beach witnessed the terrible ordeal. Community members from Mthumbane Location where Bangilizwe lived said they were devastated. "You have no idea how this has affected the community. People cannot believe this has happened. Nobody wants to go to the beach anymore," said Bangilizwe's neighbour, Malwanda Nombele, 23, who is also a lifeguard. Pictures of Bangilizwe's mutilated body could not be published, but were used to identify the type of shark implicated in the attack. "Looking at the bites (on Bangilizwe's body) it was a tiger shark," Buffalo City Municipality chief marine services officer Siani Tinley said. Click graphic to view Shark Feeding Timeline | |  |
 |
Sharks are beautiful animals that deserve to be fully protected from all human exploitation including shark finning and shark feeding. While legitimate marine conservation groups and respected scientists do the hard, tedious work to protect endangered shark species, dive industry insiders lobby to prevent full protection of sharks, green-wash the lucrative shark feeding industry as "conservation" and "education" and argue that people have the right to die or get hurt while participating in shark feeding dives. In 2008, a man died after he was attacked by another "provoked" shark while diving with notorious Florida shark feeder Jim Abernethy of Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures. To get around Florida's shark feeding ban and continue profiting from activities based on provoking marine predators to perform for thrill-seeking tourists, Abernethy takes divers from Florida to the Bahamas on the Shear Water, an old bare bones live-aboard dive boat. In Hawaii, shark feeders have avoided prosecution by taking tourists three miles offshore, however, federal law prohibits feeding sharks within 200 miles of Hawaii's coasts.The lifeguard had massive injuries, with a bite from his right thigh and his back sliced open by the shark's razor sharp teeth. His right hand was bitten off just above the wrist. Long-time resident and local historian John Costello said Port St Johns had never had sharks until two years ago. South Africa shark cage diving Many surfers in South Africa blame scuba diving operators who make money feeding and baiting sharks for the increase in shark attacks. To date, authorities have failed to crack down on shark feeding and shark baiting profiteers who destroy the natural defense systems of sharks in order to sell guaranteed shark encounters to thrill-seeking tourists and underwater photographers. Although naturally wary of humans and difficult to photograph in the wild, sharks can be manipulated and provoked with bait to "perform" and "model" for scuba divers. by GCINA NTSALUBA |
