Suspected shark attack kills 55-year-old doctor wing foiler in Nouméa

A boater spotted a body in the lagoon off Anse Vata, near Pointe/Magnin Point, and alerted emergency services after a wing foiler was discovered late Sunday afternoon, February 22. Nouvelle-Calédonie Prévention Requin said the victim “was a wing foiler who suffered injuries to his leg and arms,” and cited “the nature of the injuries” and “the presence of [a] bite on the board” as reasons to suspect a shark attack.

Firefighters and maritime rescuers recovered the man’s body and brought it back to the beach while teams evacuated Anse Vata to facilitate relief work. Fire department accounts, as reported by local responders, stated that an individual driving by boat “spotted the mutilated body of the victim, who apparently had already passed away. It was the rescuers who brought the deceased’s body back to the beach.”

The prosecutor’s office, in the statement summarized by investigators, identified the victim as a 55-year-old wingfoiler and detailed “significant injuries to the right leg as well as injuries to the left tibia and right forearm.” Officials also reported “bite traces” on the back of the foil board. An autopsy is expected and a judicial investigation has been opened to establish cause of death and any forensic evidence.

The City of Nouméa issued a press release expressing “their profound sadness” and noted this incident is “the second fatal attack since the beginning of the year and the first in the immediate vicinity of Nouméa’s beaches since 2023.” In response, municipal authorities enacted a decree banning swimming and water sports outside protected swimming areas within 300 meters of the Nouméa coastline until March 4 to secure local beaches while investigators work.

Police presence at Anse Vata was significant: “More than a dozen police officers have been deployed to protect the area and support the family. Relatives of the victim were also at the scene. They have been taken care of,” authorities reported. Local groups and emergency services are coordinating victim support and scene security as the forensic process continues.

Reporting so far identifies the deceased only as a doctor; some reports describe him as an emergency room doctor while others quote the prosecutor calling him an occupational hospital doctor. The species responsible has not been identified and must await autopsy findings and forensic analysis. Authorities have asked that the public avoid the restricted zone until the investigation and safety assessments are complete.