Shark kills Australian tourist in New Caledonia

A shark killed a 59-year-old Australian tourist near a crowded beach in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia yesterday, authorities said.

The man was swimming close to a pontoon around 150 metres (500 feet) from the beach in the capital Noumea when the shark attacked, biting him several times, they said.

Two people sailing their boat nearby rushed him back to the beach, where emergency services tried to save him. The man had major bite wounds in his leg and both arms, local prosecutor Yves Dupas told AFP.

He died at the scene despite receiving cardiac massage.