SA vents over shark attack

140110 CONDOLENCES have started pouring in for the family of a tourist killed by a shark on Tuesday and at the same time a review detailing his attack has been compiled. The review is expected to be released within a few days. Lloyd Skinner, 37, an engineer from Harare, Zimbabwe, and a UCT MBA graduate, was killed in front of a number of beach-goers two days ago while swimming at Fish Hoek. On Skinner’s Facebook account yesterday a friend, Gayle Reid, said: “Devastated by the news about Lloyd Skinner, taken by a shark on Fish Hoek beach yesterday, such a wonderful guy, so so sorry, love to his family.” Another friend, Cheryl Diane Nicholls, wrote: “My dear Skinner family, so sad and crushed, my love and thoughts and prayers are with you all.” Clint Skinner, a relative, replied that the wishes and thoughts were “all we needed”. He said relatives, including Skinner’s parents, John and Maggie, were flying to Cape Town. Skinner’s Facebook account said he was in a relationship with Debra Paine. A woman was at the beach at the time of the attack, but The Mercury was unable to confirm her identity yesterday. She was receiving trauma counselling yesterday. Gregg Oelofse, head of the city’s environmental policy and strategy, said he had last night completed a review, based on information from witnesses, rescuers and others, on Tuesday’s attack. He said it would be made public possibly by tomorrow. Oelofse and Western Cape Finance, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Alan Winde extended their condolences to Skinner’s family. Ian Klopper, the National Sea Rescue Institute’s helicopter duty commander, said an intense search was underway to try to find Skinner’s body. He said a number of people had called in to say they had seen body parts in the water, but rescuers had not found |anything. “We don’t expect to find anything,” Klopper said. Klopper said Tuesday’s attack was “very out of character” as sharks usually bit their prey only once. However, in Skinner’s case the shark, according to witnesses, went for him twice |and then pulled him away with it. Klopper said there had been four shark sightings in the Fish Hoek area early yesterday. The City of Cape Town yesterday issued warnings to bathers, saying they should remain in shallow water, and should not swim alone.

140110 CONDOLENCES have started pouring in for the family of a tourist killed by a shark on Tuesday and at the same time a review detailing his attack has been compiled. The review is expected to be released within a few days. Lloyd Skinner, 37, an engineer from Harare, Zimbabwe, and a UCT MBA graduate, was killed in front of a number of beach-goers two days ago while swimming at Fish Hoek. On Skinner’s Facebook account yesterday a friend, Gayle Reid, said: “Devastated by the news about Lloyd Skinner, taken by a shark on Fish Hoek beach yesterday, such a wonderful guy, so so sorry, love to his family.” Another friend, Cheryl Diane Nicholls, wrote: “My dear Skinner family, so sad and crushed, my love and thoughts and prayers are with you all.” Clint Skinner, a relative, replied that the wishes and thoughts were “all we needed”. He said relatives, including Skinner’s parents, John and Maggie, were flying to Cape Town. Skinner’s Facebook account said he was in a relationship with Debra Paine. A woman was at the beach at the time of the attack, but The Mercury was unable to confirm her identity yesterday. She was receiving trauma counselling yesterday. Gregg Oelofse, head of the city’s environmental policy and strategy, said he had last night completed a review, based on information from witnesses, rescuers and others, on Tuesday’s attack. He said it would be made public possibly by tomorrow. Oelofse and Western Cape Finance, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Alan Winde extended their condolences to Skinner’s family. Ian Klopper, the National Sea Rescue Institute’s helicopter duty commander, said an intense search was underway to try to find Skinner’s body. He said a number of people had called in to say they had seen body parts in the water, but rescuers had not found |anything. “We don’t expect to find anything,” Klopper said. Klopper said Tuesday’s attack was “very out of character” as sharks usually bit their prey only once. However, in Skinner’s case the shark, according to witnesses, went for him twice |and then pulled him away with it. Klopper said there had been four shark sightings in the Fish Hoek area early yesterday. The City of Cape Town yesterday issued warnings to bathers, saying they should remain in shallow water, and should not swim alone.

Published Apr 19, 2012

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South Africans took to social networking site Facebook to vent their anger on Thursday after a man was killed in a shark attack at Kogel Bay, in Cape Town.

US-based documentary maker Chris Fischer, who was in Cape Town filming “Shark Men” for National Geographic, lured sharks to the area by releasing chum (bait) into the ocean.

On the Shark Men Facebook page, South Africans blamed the documentary-makers for the man's death.

“Shame on you! P**s off! So angry, that's my home break where this happened. Hope you, your boat and your life sinks to the deepest parts of the ocean...,” wrote one person.

Another user posted: “Your chumming has just got a kid killed, you were warned but preferred ratings - condolences to the family, RIP.”

Earlier, an eyewitness to the shark attack, surfer Matt Marais, described how a “huge and aggressive” shark seized the body-boarder.

“It was a horror show. It looked like something from the Jaws movie.”

The victim's brother was believed to have been with him in the water when the great white shark, believed to be between four and five metres long, killed him.

The man had been lying on his body-board waiting for a wave to surf when a fin appeared, said Marais.

“I had just got out of the water when I saw the dorsal fin. The shark was huge and aggressive and just went for him, not once but three times.”

Marais said the documentary-makers had released shark bait into the water nearby just five days earlier.

Fischer was granted a research permit to film great white sharks in the Cape.

Initially, the Western Cape environmental affairs department, which granted the permit, said the documentary was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gather key research on great white sharks.

However it was cancelled by Biodiversity and Coastal Research director Alan Boyd following news of Thursday's attack.

“This incident is a tremendous tragedy and I'm very shocked. No more field work will be proceeding from here on out.”

When the permit was approved, there were fears that chumming could attract sharks to popular beaches, but Boyd said it would have little effect close to shore.

At the time, Dirk Schmidt, a wildlife photographer and author of “White Sharks”, said it would be prudent for a high shark alert to be issued.

His concern was that up to five tons of chum would be used to attract sharks to the research boat. He said the chum slick could be blown closer to beaches by on-shore winds.

On the Shark Men Facebook page, the attitude towards the show's creators after the attack was one of hostility.

“This is all your fault - don't mess with these sharks unless you are willing to get into the water! You clowns!! Go back to your land of Greed, Insolence and Disrespect!!!” - Sapa

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