A surfer died after he was attacked by a large shark in New Caledonia, on French territory Islands in the South Pacific, said Maritime authorities.

50-year-old man fell from the boards on Tuesday in a large lagoon near the North-Western part of the city Koumac when a shark bit his right thigh, said Nicolas Renaud, Director of the Maritime rescue coordination centre.

The Renaud reported that the man, from Western Australia, arrived on Sunday in the vacation that was to last about 10 days and booked a cruise on a sailing boat, so he can practise kite-surfing. "The crew on the boat saw the attack," said Reno.

According to him, the crew was able to drag the man back on Board and provide first aid while waiting for rescuers, who sent a medical team. They took the victim back to the port in COMAC, said Reno. "They tried to save him by doing CPR but it was too late," said Reno.

The Renaud said it was the fourth shark attack this year in New Caledonia, home to 275 thousand people. He said that an elderly woman was killed and two others injured during previous attacks.

He said that the swimmer was close to the reef that surrounds the lagoon and is located far from shore when the attack took place. He said that the lagoon is large enough to accommodate the shark. "We can't stop sharks, swam in the lagoon," he said. "The victim was in a bad place at a bad time."

According to the boat crew, they are unable to identify the species of shark, but it was very large. The Australia Department of foreign Affairs and foreign policy, said they are providing consular assistance to the family of men.
sections: Accidents, World News