CAPE TOWN, South Africa – A shark attacked a 24-year-old South African and bit off his foot during a lifeguard training exercise.
The attack took place at a Cape Town beach popular with surfers. Achmat Hassiem and his brother Taariq were in the water about 200 yards from shore Sunday while three trainees were in a boat.
Achmat saw the shark and shouted a warning to his brother, who managed to get into the boat. The shark, believed to have been a great white, then dragged Achmat under the water.
When Achmat was pulled into the boat, his leg was "dripping with blood," his brother told the South African Press Association. He was hospitalized in satisfactory condition Monday.
"The shark actually turned around and came for us again," Taariq was quoted as saying. "It actually knocked the boat quite hard, but there were five of us in the boat so it couldn't knock it over."
The False Bay waters are known for sharks. Authorities employ shark watchers in the hills to sound the alarm, but the attack happened too far from the shore to be seen.
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