Body parts spotted after shark attack

By Caryn Dolley

Condolences have started pouring in for the family of a Zimbabwean tourist killed by a shark on Tuesday and at the same time a review detailing his attack has been compiled.

The review is expected to be released within a few days.

Lloyd Skinner, 37, an engineer from Harare, Zimbabwe, and UCT MBA graduate, was killed in front of a number of beach-goers two days ago while swimming at Fish Hoek.

On Skinner’s Facebook account yesterday a friend, Gayle Reid, said: “Devastated by the news about Lloyd Skinner, taken by a shark on Fish Hoek beach yesterday, such a wonderful guy, so so sorry, love to his family.”

Another friend, Cheryl Diane Nicholls, wrote: “My dear Skinner family, so sad and crushed, my love and thoughts and prayers are with you all.”

Clint Skinner, a relative, replied that the well wishes and thoughts were “all we needed”.

He said relatives, including Skinner’s parents, John and Maggie, were flying to Cape Town.

Skinner’s facebook account said he was in a relationship with Debra Paine.

A woman had been at the beach at the time of the attack but the Cape Times could yesterday not establish her name.

She was receiving trauma counselling.

Gregg Oelofse, head of the city’s environmental policy and strategy, said he last night completed a review, based on information from witnesses, rescuers and others, into Tuesday’s attack.

He said it would be made public possibly by tomorrow.

Oelofse and Finance, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Alan Winde extended their condolences to Skinner’s family.

Ian Klopper, the National Sea Rescue Institute’s (NSRI) helicopter duty commander, said an intense search was still being conducted to try and find Skinner’s body.

He said a number of people had called in to say they had spotted body parts in the water but rescuers had not found anything.

“We don’t expect to find anything,” Klopper said.

He and others, rescuers and shark spotters, were “almost dead certain” a Great White shark had attacked Skinner.

Klopper said Tuesday’s attack was “very out of character” as sharks usually bit their prey once but in the case with Skinner the shark, according to witnesses, had gone for Skinner twice and had then disappeared with his body.

Klopper said there had been four shark spottings in the Fish Hoek area early yesterday.

As a precaution, swimmers were prevented from entering the water at beaches from Glencairn to Muizenberg as conditions were not favourable for shark monitoring.

When the Cape Times team later flew in a helicopter along the coastline, it spotted at least five sharks in the vicinity of Muizenberg beach.

At one point three sharks swam near to each other forming the points of a triangle. The tips of their fins could be seen just peaking from the water.

In the background a number of fishers and beach-goers could be seen but none was swimming or wading out.

At Fish Hoek no one could be seen swimming in the water either but a number of people were on the shore.

The City of Cape Town yesterday issued warnings to bathers saying they should remain in shallow water and should not swim alone.

Bathers were also advised to have a someone watch them while they were in the water.

Gerhard Ras, sport and recreational mayoral committee member, said residents could visit closed beaches but would not be allowed to enter the water.

He said beach managers would update the public when beaches were re-opened.

In November 2004, a Fish Hoek woman, Tyna Webb, 77, was killed by a shark while swimming about 150 metres from the shore at about 7am. The fatal attack was said to have been the first in the area in more than a century.

The writer can be contacted on [email protected]

• This article was originally published on page 1 of The Cape Times on January 14, 2010