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British honeymooner killed by shark in Seychelles as wife watched

UPDATE 11.20am: A BRITISH couple's honeymoon ended in the worst way imaginable this week when the groom was killed by a shark.

 

Lonely Planet rates Seychelles beach Anse Lazio as "one of the best in the country". Picture courtesy of Flickr user bobcatrock

 

The attack happened in the most unlikely of places - 10 metres off the idyllic Anse Lazio beach in the Seychelles.

Ian Redmond, 30, was snorkelling off the island of Paslin when he was attacked by a 2m shark, thought to be a "rogue" stalking swimmers.

Less than a fortnight ago, a French diver was also killed, the first such death in the region for almost 50 years.

Redmond's wife, 27-year-old Gemma Houghton, saw the attack and watched helplessly from the beach with onlookers as her husband screamed for help.

Some other holidaymakers rushed to help him in an inflatable dinghy.

"I saw the swimmer, who was missing a huge chunk of flesh from his left leg, so much so that I could see the bone of his thigh," one tourist told the UK's Telegraph.

"He was sickeningly pale, but still had his flippers on both feet.

"At this point a woman ran over and started screaming. She said: 'That’s my husband!'"

Redmond was taken to hospital by helicopter but died of massive blood loss.

It was the couple's second week on honeymoon. They were due to fly out on Friday to the main Seychelles island of Mahe for the weekend before heading home.

All of the surrounding beaches have been closed and swimming banned until the shark problem has been dealt with.

Some 19,000 British tourists visit the Seychelles every year.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge recently had their honeymoon on the same islands, where officials say shark attacks are very rare.

Source: Heraldsun.com.au 8-17-11