Shark Mauls Woman To Death While She Was Swimming, Alert Issued

A shark attacked and killed a woman while she was swimming in the water off Waihī Beach in New Zealand.

According to local reports, the woman was in the water when she started screaming, following which lifeguards dragged her to the land. Witness Elliot Hall told Stuff News he watched paramedics give CPR to the woman but were unable to revive her.

Another witness said the coastguard advised everyone at the beach to get out of the water after the woman's death.

The incident is said to be the first fatal shark attack in the Bay of Plenty in around 145 years, local media outlet TVNZ reported.

Western Bay of Plenty Mayor Garry Webber called the death an "awful situation."

"When these things happen your thoughts immediately go to the family and particularly the responders, the coastguard, the ambulance, air rescue helicopter, who had to attend. You really feel for them," he said, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark expressed her condolences in a tweet.

“Tragedy has struck our community at Waihī Beach where a woman died in a shark attack late this afternoon,” she said. “Deepest condolences to family & friends; this is devastating news. Solidarity with local emergency services in attendance.”

Shark scientist Riley Elliott said it remains unclear what species of shark attacked the woman. However, just a day before the attack, a great white shark had been spotted cruising around Mercury Bay in the Coromandel, around 60 miles north of Waihī Beach.

Elliott told NZ Herald that great white sharks are not as common in the area as bronze whalers. However, attacks on humans have not been reported in a very long time.

"It's very uncommon to have shark attacks in New Zealand - in the world in general, especially fatal ones," he said. "Shark attacks are incredibly rare and if you see one, remain calm, alert people around you, and calmly vacate the water."

Kina Scollay, a founding member of New Zealand's Great White Shark Project, called the incident “absolutely terrible.”

“It’s a very rare thing. There are plenty of sharks in the ocean not hunting people, it doesn’t happen very often.”