An Australian tourist has been mauled to death by a shark in front of shocked onlookers in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia.
A man named Chris Davis was swimming about 500 feet away from Château-Royal beach in Noumea when the apex predator - believed to be a 13-foot tiger shark - attacked him.
The married father-of-three was bitten several times on the legs and arms, with devastating footage being shared by media outlets which revealed the desperate efforts of two nearby jet skiers to pull Chris ashore.
Two lifeguards attempted to resuscitate the 59-year-old man - who worked as a senior software programming consultant - but he succumbed to his horrific injuries and was carried off the crowded beach on a stretcher.
Chris' grieving family has shared a tribute statement to the media, describing him as a "beloved husband and father".
"Chris was a senior software programming consultant in the superannuation and funds management industry and a keen triathlete, having represented Australia several times in age group world championship events," they wrote, via ABC Net.
"He is survived by his wife and three adult sons, who express their sincere gratitude to the New Caledonian authorities for the efforts in treating him and to the Australian and New Caledonian governments for aiding his return to Australia," they added.
The Australian Age Group World Championships Teams also sent their condolences to his family on Facebook, penning: "[Chris] competed on the Australian Age Group Triathlon Team several times including in 2009 on the Gold Coast, 2019 in Lausanne, and recently in 2022 in Montreal.
"Chris was recently selected to his fourth Australian Age Group Triathlon Team to compete at the 2023 World Triathlon Age Group Sprint Distance Triathlon and Mixed Team Relay World Championships in Hamburg, Germany."
"Our thoughts are with Chris' family during this challenging time, and we share our deepest sympathies from the triathlon family," the sports organization added.
Per ABC.net.au, local authorities have since issued a culling of sharks in the area.
News.com.au shared images of a shark that was captured in the area - though there has been no official confirmation that the captured shark was the one responsible for killing Chris.
The city’s mayor, Sonia Lagarde, has demanded the closure and evacuation of most beaches in the area and the capture of tiger sharks and bull sharks in nearby waters, per The Guardian.
In an effort to combat the beasts, drones were also deployed to follow them and two were sighted before the procedures were suspended at nightfall.
The outlet shared that a local prosecutor, Yves Dupas, remarked that an investigation would reveal more about the events of the Shark attack - which occurred inside the area near lifeguards.
This is the third shark attack near the Chateau-Royal beach in three weeks.
Despite New Caledonia having a small population of 270,000 people, it is ranked 13th in the world for the total number of shark attacks, as revealed by the Florida Museum of Natural History.
