French honeymooner killed by a shark while surfing in front of his wife at beach resort in Indian Ocean

• It is the third fatal shark attack on Reunion this year

• Nearby swimmer raised the alert after seeing blood in the water

• Lifeguards dived into the water and brought the victim back to shore

By Damien Gayle
PUBLISHED: 10:30 EST, 8 May 2013 | UPDATED: 17:00 EST, 8 May 2013

A Frenchman on his honeymoon was killed in a shark attack in front of his new wife as he surfed off the shores of an Indian Ocean paradise island.The 36-year-old was near the popular beach of Brisants de Saint-Gilles on the French-controlled island of Reunion when the shark charged him twice.
A nearby swimmer raise the alert after seeing blood spreading through the water, authorities said.

A French honeymooner died in front of his wife after being bitten on his arm and his thigh in a shark attack off the French-controlled Indian Ocean island Reunion

The surfer was near the popular beach of Brisants de Saint-Gilles on the French-controlled island of Reunion when the shark attacked

French gendarmes stand by the sea after a 36 year-old French surfer was attacked and killed by a shark today

Lifeguards bravely leapt into the water to fetch the profusely bleeding victim and drag him back to shore. However they were unable to revive him.
He had been bitten deeply through his arm and thigh and suffered massive blood loss and respiratory failure, AFP reported.
The victim's wife was on the beach when the attack happened and she is now being treated for shock.
Shark's have killed three people on Reunion in the past two years, but today's deadly attack was the first on the island this year.

French gendarmes and tourists stand on the beach following the attack

Shark flags on a Reunion island beach near where the attack happened

Paradise island: Reunion is a volcanic island east of Madagascar and about 120 miles south-west of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean

The island is one of the overseas departments of France, sending seven deputies to the French National Assembly and three senators to the Senate, and a popular destination for French tourists

Although sharks are not natural man-eaters, they sometimes mistake humans for their usual prey.
Experts say that sometimes the aquatic predators hurt surfers as they 'mouth' them out of curiosity.
Reunion is a volcanic island east of Madagascar and about 120 miles south-west of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
It is one of the overseas departments of France, sending seven deputies to the French National Assembly and three senators to the Senate, and a popular destination for French tourists.