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Why this is notable
The attack prompted Egyptian authorities to close a 74 km stretch of Red Sea coastline, the tiger shark was subsequently caught and identified, and video documentation captured the repeated attacks — making this a well-sourced, regionally significant case with documented environmental response.
Incident Profile
Circumstances
Environmental
Individual
Location
Description
A 23-year-old Russian man — born in 1999 and a permanent resident of Egypt rather than a tourist — was killed on Thursday, 8 June 2023, after being mauled by a tiger shark in the waters off a beach near Hurghada on Egypt's Red Sea coast. A widely circulated video showed the shark circling and repeatedly attacking him before dragging him underwater, an unusual sustained attack. A lifeguard from a nearby hotel raised the alarm and bystanders rushed to help, but rescuers could not reach him in time. Egypt's Environment Ministry confirmed a tiger shark was responsible; authorities caught the shark for examination and closed roughly 74 km of coastline to swimming, snorkelling and watersports. The Russian Consulate General in Hurghada confirmed the death of the Russian national.