Man killed in rare fatal shark attack

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) – A shark possibly 14 feet long killed a swimmer near a popular New Zealand beach on Wednesday, then disappeared after police attempting to save the man fired gunshots at the enormous predator.

Muriwai Beach near Auckland was closed after the fatal attack, one of only about a dozen in New Zealand in the past 180 years.

Police in inflatable rubber boats shoot at a shark off Muriwai Beach near Auckland, New Zealand on Feb 27, as they attempt to retrieve a body following a fatal shark attack. A shark possibly 14 feet long killed a swimmer off Muriwai Beach. AP

Pio Mose, who was fishing at the beach, told The New Zealand Herald he saw the swimmer struggle against the “huge” shark. He told the man to swim to the rocks, but it was too late.

“All of a sudden there was blood everywhere,” Mose said. “… I was shaking, scared, panicked.”

Police Inspector Shawn Rutene said in a statement that the swimmer, who was in his 40s, was about 200 metres offshore when the shark attacked. He said police went out in inflatable surf-lifesaving boats and shot at the shark, which they estimate was 12 to 14 feet long.

“It rolled over and disappeared,” Rutene said, without saying whether police are certain that they killed the creature.

Police recovered the body of the swimmer, whose name was not immediately released because his relatives had yet to be notified.

About 200 people had been enjoying the beach during the Southern Hemisphere summer at the time of the attack. Police said Muriwai and other beaches nearby have been closed until further notice.