Shark Attacks Man During Helicopter Rescue

Luckless man was moments away from rescue off Aruba
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 22, 2015 2:42 AM CST
Shark Attacks Man During Helicopter Rescue
A sand tiger shark swims in a Berlin aquarium.   (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Either the man was incredibly unlucky, or the shark had a sick sense of humor. The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard says a shipwrecked Venezuelan man was moments from rescue when he was attacked by a shark near Aruba, the AP reports. A Coast Guard helicopter spotted the man clinging to a buoy, but the shark seized him just as a rescuer was about to winch him to safety. He was injured and died on the way to the hospital on Saturday, officials say. Two other men died when their boat capsized, and another four were rescued and treated for dehydration. It isn't clear what kind of shark was involved, but tiger sharks are a common hazard in the area, the Guardian notes. (Selfies are still deadlier.)

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