Thirteen-year-old surfing star Elio Canestri was killed by a shark Sunday morning while surfing the shores of Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean.
Canestri was surfing with seven other people on Sunday when he was attacked by a shark, officials announced Monday.
A spokeperson for the island’s rescue services said the shark grabbed Canestri by the stomach.
“A boat was launched very quickly, and the victim was dragged out of the sea, but he died from his wounds,"
the spokesman said, according to NBC News. "Those who witnessed the attack, including other children, are being treated for trauma."
There has been a surfing ban on Reunion Island for two years because of multiple shark attacks.
“This is the 16th shark attack in Reunion since 2011,
seven of which have been fatal,” Surfline reported. “The last attack occurred at L’Etang Sale on February 14 this year, when a 22-year-old girl was killed while swimming.”
Many went online to mourn the young surfer, including Jeremy Flores, a professional surfer who grew up on Reunion Island, which is off the coast of Madagascar.
The Daily Mail reported thousands of people lined the beach where Canestri was killed to pay their respects to the young, talented surfer.
In 2013, Surfer magazine reported on the increased numbers of shark attacks in the waters around Reunion Island, and said some were concerned that a marine reserve on the west side of the island banned fishing and the expanding marine life drew sharks. Another theory on the increased shark aggression was that growing wastewater in the sea was attracting sharks.
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