The unnamed 68-year-old Austrian woman managed to swim back to shore and was taken to an ambulance but later died of a heart attack.
Video of the attack shows the water turning red with blood as horrified tourists look on. In the video, several Russian tourists can be heard complaining about the lack of lifeguards.
The attack took place in the Red Sea near the Sahl Hasheesh resort, which is popular with budget-conscious Egyptian and Israeli tourists.
“Holy f—, she’s covered in blood. The shark bit her arm. Where’s the rescue team? She’s going to die,” panicked Russian tourists can be heard saying as she is filmed on social media, according to reports.
A man can be seen throwing a rope as the woman bravely swims to the beach, although no one entered the water to help her.
When she reached the beach, the woman, who according to local reports was married to an Egyptian man, received CPR. But then he died of a heart attack in the ambulance. Since then the Egyptian authorities have closed the beach.
Shark attacks are rare in Egypt, but the Red Sea contains reef sharks and ocean white tip sharks.
In 2020, a Ukrainian child and his tour guide lost their limbs after a shark attack in Egypt at the Ras Mohammed resort.
The issue of shark attacks also became a heated debate in Egypt in 2010, when there were five attacks in as many days. During these attacks, three Russians, a Ukrainian and a German tourist were injured.
It is not clear why the shark that attacked the Austrian woman this week swam in shallow water. During the 2010 incident, there was speculation that meat carcasses thrown into the sea near the coast may have been drawn in by sharks.
Scientists say sharks don’t see humans as a food source, but may attack if they feel threatened or cornered in the water. Attacks can also occur if a shark mistakes a human for its normal prey.
