The family of a Sydney man killed in a shark attack while visiting a busy New Caledonia beach is mourning their “beloved” husband and father.
Chris Davis, a 59-year-old software engineer and triathlete, was swimming 150 metres from chateau Royal beach just south of Nouméa on Sunday when a shark bit him several times, according to reports.
A bite on the thigh extended 37cm from the hip to the knee, causing a deep lesion, public prosecutor Yves Dupas said, according to reports. Dupas said a second bite to the upper limbs, forearm and hands was “also fatal”.
Davis was pulled from the water and taken to shore by people on a nearby sailboat. Emergency services tried to resuscitate him, but Davis died at the scene.
“Chris was a senior software programming consultant … and a keen triathlete, having represented Australia several times in age group world championship events,” the family said in a statement.
“We are deeply mourning the loss of our beloved husband and father.”
His wife and three sons have expressed “sincere gratitude” to New Caledonian authorities for their efforts in treating Davis. They have confirmed his body has been returned to Australia, aided by Australian and New Caledonian governments.
Chateau Royal and nearby beaches have since been closed, and the Nouméa mayor, Sonia Lagarde, has ordered tiger sharks and bull sharks in nearby waters be culled.
New Caledonia ranks 13th in the world for the total number of shark attacks. This is the second shark attack in New Caledonia this year, after a 49-year-old swimmer was seriously injured by a shark last month, also near the Chateau Royal beach.