A British man has lost his legs in a shark attack off a popular beach close to Cape Town in South Africa.
Michael Cohen was about 50 yards from the shore at the city’s Fish Hoek beach when the shark struck.
Witnesses said three large great white sharks had been seen in the area 90 minutes before the attack and on previous days.
Forty two-year-old Mr Cohen, who lived in Cape Town, reportedly ignored warnings to stay out of the water and entered the ocean after the shark had been spotted and the beach closed.
A statement from local authorities said: “When the victim entered the water, the beach was still closed and the shark flag indicating the presence of a white shark was flying.”
Three nearby beaches were shut following the attack because the shark could still be seen in the area.
Cape Town operates a shark-spotter programme on its beaches to warn people when to leave the water.
The attack came a month after Ian Redmond, from Lancashire, was killed by a shark while swimming off the Seychelles.