title: Unprovoked fatal shark attack in Lifou Island (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, South Pacific) by a great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias.
abstract: The case of a fatal, unprovoked shark attack is reported and analyzed. The incident took place on the 30th of September 2007, in the lagoon of Luengoni Bay, Lifou Island (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia). A young French woman who was snorkeling was severely bitten on the right thigh and died of hemorrhage. An analysis based in particular on the size and color of the shark, the characteristics of the wounds, and the behavior of the shark before and after the bite suggests that the aggressor was a great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias.
authors.affiliation: Secretariat of the Pacific Community, BP D5, 95Promenade Roger Laroque, Noumea, New Caledonia, France. EricC@spc.int
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Clua
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Séret
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000473:pathology*; D058734:Exsanguination / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D009510:New Caledonia; D012754:Sharks; D012769:Shock / Q000209:etiology; D013848:Thigh / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology