A snorkeling trip at a luxury Red Sea resort in Egypt turned tragic on Sunday when a tiger shark fatally attacked an Italian tourist. Gianluca Di Gioia, 48, an EU official from Rome, was celebrating his birthday with a friend at the Sataya Resort when the incident occurred.
Gianluca, a member of the EU’s European External Action Service, had ventured into the water near Marsa Alam alongside his friend Giuseppe Fappani, 69. While swimming about 150 feet from the beach, the pair encountered a tiger shark. Witnesses reported that Gianluca sustained severe injuries to his arms and legs during the attack.
Giuseppe’s wife, who watched the horrifying scene unfold, said her husband bravely tried to intervene, swimming toward Gianluca to scare the shark away. She described how the shark initially retreated but returned to attack again.
Both men were rushed to a nearby hospital in Port Ghalib, but Gianluca tragically succumbed to his injuries. Giuseppe was later discharged.
The Egyptian Environmental Ministry stated the attack happened outside a designated swimming zone near jetties, where swimming is prohibited. The area has been temporarily closed for two days as authorities investigate.
While shark attacks in the Red Sea are rare, this marks the second fatal tiger shark attack in the region in recent months. In June 2023, 23-year-old Vladimir Popov from Russia was killed in a similar attack near Hurghada, where witnesses described the gruesome scene.
Although the Red Sea is home to a variety of marine life, including sharks, attacks remain uncommon. However, this latest incident has raised concerns among tourists and locals about safety measures and the importance of adhering to designated swimming zones.