Great White kills elderly swimmer off Cape Town
A great white shark attack circled an elderly woman swimmer near Cape Town today before tearing into her, a witness said.
“All that was left was a little red bathing cap,” said False Bay Yacht Club rear commodore Paul Dennett, who watched the attack about 100 yards from his home.
He went outside and saw the shark attacking something, which he initially suspected was a seal.
“Then I saw somebody in the water; there was a hell of a lot of blood.” Mr Dennett said he immediately called rescue services to raise the alarm.
“I then saw the shark circle around the victim… and then in just one big mouth, and not even breaching the water, took her in,” he said.
Mr Dennett said he had never seen a shark as big, estimating it to be at least 20 ft long. His fiancée and her daughter, who also witnessed the attack, were traumatised and receiving counselling.
Mr Dennett said that during the attack they screamed to other bathers enjoying an early morning swim to get out of the water.
The 76-year-old woman is officially missing.
A rescue helicopter was sent to the scene and National Sea Rescue Institute spokesman Craig Lambinon said the crew spotted a shark nearby.
“The shark is bigger than the helicopter… it is huge,” he said.
He said “The shark came out of the water and attacked, came around and attacked again a second time and then a third time. It was thrashing her body in the water and then swam off with her.
“She had been swimming in the same place every day for 17 years,” he added.
