Chilling moment massive shark prowls near oblivious swimmers in same spot where man was mauled to death by great white
THIS is the chilling moment a huge shark prowls close to oblivious surfers in the same spot a bodyboarder was mauled to death by a great white.
Footage shows the beast cruising through the water at Kogel Bay, Cape Town, just feet away from swimmers - who appear blissfully unaware of its threatening presence.
In the clip, the massive shark can be seen swimming through shallow water by two surfers before coming within feet of a group of people enjoying the stunning blue water.
The close encounter happened at the same bay where a man was tragically killed by a great white.
Bodyboarder David Lilienfield was riding the waves with his brother when he was viciously attacked and dragged under the water by a 13ft shark.
Terrified beachgoers watched on in horror as the 20-year-old fought against the predator as it ripped off his right leg.
His sibling hauled him to shore - but David died before medics could make it to him following the attack in April 2012.
One eyewitness, Yusaf George, told IOL at the time: "When I got there, they said there was a huge shark in the water."We were trying to shout to the boys to say there was a shark. But it was too late.
“The next minute I saw the shark circle this guy. The brother was on his way out to catch a wave, and his brother called out to him.
“We just saw blood all over. The brother wanted to go in and help, but he couldn’t because the shark still had his brother. The second time the shark took him, it took the boy down with him.
“A few minutes later the bodyboard surfaced. And then the body was washed on to the rocks. It was terrible to witness. I felt so helpless."
With shark encounters so common around Cape Town bays, the area has its own patrols.
Just last month, Shark Spotters Safety Education Research Conservation (SSSERC) reported spotting at least four great whites and bronze sharks within days in waters off the South African capital.
Worldwide, the number of shark attacks has exploded as swimmers continue to ignore bloodbath warning signs - seeing nearly 800 people mauled in just nine years.A whopping 791 shark attacks were reported between 2010 and 2019, according to data published by the International Shark Attack File - with an annual global average of 80 bites.
It shows an incredible rise compared to data from 1970 to 1979, when just 157 attacks were reported.
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