Shark Evades Nets and Attacks Surfer After being evacuated by helicopter, the 21-year-old Réunion Island victim had his foot and arm amputated By Dashel Pierson

Published: August 30, 2016

August 30, 2016 Views: 3,728







Shark Evades Nets and Attacks Surfer After being evacuated by helicopter, the 21-year-old Réunion Island victim had his foot and arm amputated.





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Related Over the weekend, a shark attacked a 21-year-old man at Boucan Canot beach on Réunion Island. Footage above shows the emergency evacuation of the man via helicopter. He was later transported to the hospital where portions of his arm and leg were amputated. Video: Zinfos974

Earlier this year, Réunion officials implemented a shark net system along the coastline. Here's the island nation's premier surfer, Jeremy Flores, testing the newly safe waters. Photo: @SurfingFrance

After 13-year-old surfer Elio Canestri was killed, the island was outraged by the ferocity and frequency of shark attacks. It pushed officials to look towards South Africa and Australia to install protective nets along half the coastline.

The beach at Boucan Canot is protected by a shark net, as you can see by adjusting the zoom. However there was a six-foot-long tear in it, which is the suspected cause of the attack. Surfers and swimmers were notified of the tear but ignored it due to significant swell in the water.



As a small island nation nestled in the Indian Ocean,

Réunion has developed the unfortunate reputation as one of the sharkiest places on earth. Numerous bloody attacks have occurred along the coastline, culminating in 2013 when the community was devastated after 13-year-old Elio Canestri was killed while surfing an unmonitored area.And although protective nets have been installed around surf and swim spots, another attack has struck the French-owned territory. Over the weekend, 21-year-old Laurent Chardard was seriously mauled in the arm and leg while he was in the water at Boucan Canot, reports local media . Footage shows the victim being airlifted from the beach via helicopter and flown to the hospital where doctors amputated his arm and leg. His condition remains stable after the operations, reports say.