Date of attack: | March 6th 2009 |
---|---|
Location: | Bourail, West coast |
Shark species: | unknown |
Name of victim: | Kevin Hannecart |
Age of victim: | 19 years old |
Sex of victim: | M |
Activity: | Surfing |
Injury: | FATAL |
Fatal Shark Attack off the Coast of New Caledonia
On March 6, 2009, 19-year-old Kevin Hannecart, a student from Cherbourg, France, was fatally attacked by a shark while surfing off Bourail on the west coast of New Caledonia. Hannecart, who was studying in Noumea, was in the water around 11:30 a.m. when the attack occurred.
The weather was cloudy, with moderate winds and turbid water due to recent rains. Reports indicate that Hannecart suffered multiple severe injuries, including bites to his right arm, thigh, and lower leg. His friend managed to bring him to shore, but he had already succumbed to his injuries by the time emergency workers arrived.
Authorities initially suspected the attack involved a bull shark, with some reports suggesting multiple sharks were involved. Other accounts described a single shark between 3.5 and 4 metres in length. A later forensic study by Eric Clua and Dennis Reid suggested the culprit was a white shark, approximately 2.7 metres long. Attempts to capture the shark were unsuccessful.
Hannecart’s death remains one of New Caledonia’s most tragic shark incidents, highlighting the risks of surfing in shark-inhabited waters.
Map showing shark attack location and nearby incidents
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