Vladimir Popov Russian tourist body parts discovered inside shark that ate him alive while the tourist was swimming at Egyptian beach resort as video of shark’s clubbing death goes viral.
‘Papa, … save me!’ The body parts of a Russian tourist who was filmed being eaten alive by a shark while screaming for his father’s help were recovered from inside the predator’s stomach after it was clubbed to death by beachgoers near an Egyptian resort.
Vladimir Popov, 23, was caught on footage being attacked by a tiger shark last week and dragged underwater in Hurghada as he screamed for help.
The shark was later caught, with video showing beach-goers beating the predator to death on the shore.
‘Papa…save me!’
The shark has since been dissected by specialists, who confirmed that the animal was the one that ate Popov — after finding his remains in its intestines, Al Arabiya reported.
Officials said the shark attacked Popov while he was swimming in the Red Sea at a resort beach location in Hurghada.
Popov’s father Yury said the pair had ‘gone to the beach to relax’ when all of a sudden, his son ‘was attacked by a shark,’ CEN reported.
Popov was in the water with his girlfriend, who managed to escape, while fellow beachgoers said there was little they could do as the shark mercilessly devoured the man in front of horrified onlookers.
In the moments leading up to his death, Popov can be seen splashing about in the ocean before the hapless man is dragged under as beach revelers scream for help.
According to CEN, the victim had yelled, ‘Papa…save me!’ before being yanked underwater. Captured video included the horrified screams of a woman, repeating, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, what is going on?!!’
Should a predator be blamed for only doing what it is designed to do in its own element?
Eyewitnesses also claimed the shark toyed with the Russian’s body for two hours following the killing.
Yury deemed the attack ‘an absolutely ridiculous coincidence,’ adding that he would cremate his son’s remains and return the ashes to Russia.
The attack left tourists stunned, with beachgoers convening when investigators caught the shark and dragged it ashore. A mob was present to club the animal to death.
Video of the clubbing culminated with the cameraman posing for a selfie.
Officials have yet to reveal if the shark that ate Popov was involved in other reported incidents in the area. Many criticized the animal’s clubbing death, saying that the predator was only doing what nature had intended for it to do in its own element and environment.
While attacks are fortunately rare in Red Sea coastal regions, last year, sharks killed two women — an Austrian and a Romanian — just days apart in another popular tourist spot in Hurghada.
