A MISSING fisherman is feared useless after getting attacked by two sharks whereas dragging in an enormous haul of sardines in South Africa.
Two friends rushed to the spot the place the 37-year-old disappeared – however because the fins of two different beasts suspected to be Bronze Whalers headed for them, they retreated.
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The horror assault on Friday afternoon occurred on a seashore standard with divers and surfers at Mfazazana, Kwa-Zulu Natal province, 60 miles south of Durban.
A Nationwide Sea Rescue Institute spokesman confirmed {that a} 37-year-old native man had been reported lacking “following a shark incident that concerned 3 native fishermen”.
They mentioned: “We and the SA police and the Water Policing and Diving Providers unit have been informed a person disappeared below the water after a shark surfaced the place he was netting.
“It seems that no less than one pal tried to intervene however it’s believed that he was confronted by no less than 2 sharks within the surf and he retreated to the shoreline.
“It’s believed the sharks have been feeding on a college of sardines on the time. A big scale search is underway however up to now no signal of the lacking man has been discovered”.
Within the final 25 years, 37 individuals have been killed by sharks off the coast of South Africa – with the final being restauranteur Kimon Bisogno, 39, in September 2022.
The pizza store boss was swimming in Plettenberg Bay when a Nice White attacked her whereas husband Diego Milesi, 40, and daughter Luna, 5, have been on the seashore.
And in June of the identical yr, married dad and stockbroker Bruce Wolov, 63, – a snorkeller and lengthy distance swimmer – was attacked and killed by a Nice White in the identical bay.
The yr earlier than Robert Frauestein, 38, was killed by a suspected Nice White at Chinsta, Jap Cape, however solely his bodyboard with big chew marks was discovered.
Every year billions of sardines run 1000 mile up the coast from Cape City to Mozambique in shoals as much as 4 miles lengthy and 1.5 miles huge and 90ft deep.
Tens of 1000’s of dolphins lay in anticipate them and spherical them up into bait balls 60ft in diameter and 20 toes deep after which assault adopted by hungry sharks.
The feeding frenzy happens between Might and July and it’s the largest annual migration on this planet because the sardines as they head for chilly water to spawn.
Constitution boat skipper Walter Bernadis runs an organization African Watersports at Port St Johns on the Wild Coast in Jap Cape that takes vacationers out to look at.
He mentioned: “When the sardines are operating it’s on hearth on the market and you’ll see tons of of sharks tearing into the sardines in a feeding frenzy like no different.
“A photographer with us Sergio Lucas received these superb pictures of a bronze whaler shark doing a somersault excessive of a bait ball because it feasted on sardines.
“There are tens of millions and tens of millions heading previous us on the chilly Agulhas present however tons of of 1000’s by no means make it because of the ready dolphins and sharks.
“We name it the Best Shoal on Earth and it by no means fails to ship” he mentioned.
Native communities who dwell on or close to the coast alongside the shoal route flock to the coast of their 1000’s with massive nets they fill day by day to feed their villages.
Bolivian photographer Sergio Lucas, 31, who captured photos of the shark leaping from the water mentioned: “It was simply insane with sharks attacking from each angle.
“The water was became an enormous froth and I’ll always remember it” he mentioned.
Close to the demise of the fisherman revered skipper Walter mentioned: “It’s uncommon for a fisherman to be taken from the seashore when netting the sardines.
“However wherever sharks are feeding on a bait ball it’s a hazard and the final time I knew of somebody bitten in a single was a British man who scuba dived into one.
“That was towards all recommendation and he received chewed up however he survived” he mentioned.
Nice White’s additionally flip up on the feast however they aren’t there for the sardines however the tens of 1000’s of dolphins and seals that comply with the shoal up the coast.
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