Content warning: this article may contain subject matter some readers may find upsetting
Egyptian authorities have placed a beach on lockdown following a fatal shark attack.
On Thursday (8 June), a man was killed in a shark attack in the sea near the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
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The 10ft-long tiger shark killed 23-year-old Vladimir Popov and Egypt's Environment Ministry quickly warned others at the resort to remain vigilant, closing off 26 miles of the coastline until tomorrow (Sunday, 11 June).
Popov's father, Yury Popov, spoke out about the incident, telling 112 media outlet the incident 'all happened in seconds'.
He continued: "We went to the beach to relax.
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"[...] My son was attacked by a shark. [...] What kind of help can you give? This meat grinder happened in 20 seconds, he was just dragged under the water.
"This is an absolutely ridiculous coincidence, because it is a safe beach. There are ships and yachts around. It's never happened there. They usually attack on wild beaches. It's just some kind of evil fate."
Shortly after the incident, Egypt's Environment Ministry banned anyone from entering the water.
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Local authorities placed a ban on snorkelling, swimming and any other water sports - a ban which is reportedly in place until tomorrow (11 June).
In a statement posted to Facebook, Egypt's Environment Ministry wrote: "Dr. Yasmin Fouad, the Minister of the Environment, directed the staff specialised in managing the shark attack incident on a pioneer of Hurghada beaches, to apply all policies applied globally to achieve maximum levels of safety for Red Sea shores and to take all possible measures to avoid the repetition of the shark attack incident again.
"In light of abnormal shark behaviour causing the incident and previous fact that there have been incidents of attacks on humans by this species in the past, the fishing team examined the fish that caused the incident to examine it to find out possible causes for the attack and whether it was [the] same fish that caused previous accidents."
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The shark has since been caught - captured by locals using a fishing net.
It was later confirmed by authorities the shark had not only been captured, but also killed.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Topics: Animals, World News, Sharks
Poppy Bilderbeck