Caught in the jaws of death

Update

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - This week's shark attack at Central Beach in Plettenberg Bay was captured on video and showed that Kimon (Kiki) Bisogno (39) of Cape Town, who died in the attack, did not even see the predator coming.

Bitou Mayor Dave Swart said a video clip showed Bisogno, who was staying at the nearby Beacon Island Resort, had gone for an early morning swim shortly before 08:00.

She was about 50m from the beach when the shark struck, the video showed.

"There was no warning beforehand and you couldn't see the shark in the water before it actually attacked her. She was alone in the water at the time of the attack and unfortunately she did not survive the attack," Swart said.

He told the SABC's Agenda this week that some of her friends and other people on the beach witnessed the "traumatic event".

Tributes poured in on social media for Bisogno, a joint owner of a pizza restaurant and an activist helping the homeless in Cape Town. She was described as a "beautiful soul". Bisogno, a mother of a five-year-old daughter, was taking a weekend away with the love of her life, Diego Milesi.

A group of locals, organised by the Plett lifeguard group, gathered early on Monday to lay flowers on Central Beach.

"The circumstances are tragic and we send condolences to her family and her friends," said Swart.

He said there were no shark barriers on the beach and also no lifeguards on the beach at the time of the attack. "In season we do usually have lifeguards on the beach, but out of season we don't," he said.

A group of locals in Plettenberg Bay gathered early on Monday to lay flowers at Central Beach in memory of Kiki.

Counter measures

After stockbroker Bruce Wolov, an acclaimed long-distance swimmer, died in a shark attack at Sanctuary Beach on 28 June, a Shark Action Committee was created to put plans in place to make the beaches safer for swimmers.

The plans include having spotters on beaches in the coming season, which starts on 1 October. In the meantime, Central Beach and Robberg 5 Beach will have lifeguards on duty. Swart urged visitors and residents to swim at beaches with lifeguards.

Swart said the shark activity along the coastline showed the same pattern as in the past. Shark activity peaks in winter, but fluctuates when there are orcas around, as orcas target great white sharks. Sharks, some of them tagged, had been spotted leaving Mossel Bay and swimming up the coast because of orca activity.

"We had orcas in Bitou for a short while and the sharks moved away. But they moved back last week. They are normally here this time of the year, but move away from Plettenberg Bay around October," said Swart.

He said it is procedure to close beaches after incidents like Sunday. The beaches are closed, but will be reopened in consultation with the NSRI "within the next day or two".

Because sharks are present all year round, people have to be cautious and swim in areas where there are lifeguards on duty.

A deserted Central Beach after it was closed following the attack.

Awareness

Paul Duverge, founder of the new Plettenberg Bay Tourism body, called for an awareness campaign because visitors to Plettenberg Bay are not always aware of the dangers presented by sharks.

This should include visible signage at beach entry points, an educational campaign to roll out to all tourism-related businesses that educate all front-line staff so that they can share their knowledge with guests, employing permanent shark spotters using drone technology, and sponsoring advertisements in local publications to create awareness of ocean safety in general.

Shark spotters placed at strategic high points on two top Plettenberg Bay beaches, and the possibility of drone technology being used to monitor shark activity, are included in the Plett Shark Action Plan released by the Plett Tourism Association on Monday - a day after the fatal attack at Central Beach.

The statement said that Bitou Municipality and key stakeholders in Plettenberg Bay have been in conversations since May to put together a formalised Plett Shark Action Plan. It also said that in addition to 12 shark bite kits sponsored by NSRI, which are already strategically placed along the main beaches in Plett, the group is also engaged on several WhatsApp platforms that keep stakeholders informed of shark activity in the area.

The action plan approaches the issue through three stages which include shark-smart signage, collateral and public awareness. The signage was approved in mid-September and is currently in the process of being printed.

Plett Tourism is assisting the Bitou Municipality with fliers distributed to the home rental agencies, hotels, guest houses, lodges and B&B in late October.

Stage two of the plan is for shark deterrent measures to be implemented and stage three is employing shark spotters at raised vantage points at Lookout Beach and Robberg Beach.

"The Plett Shark Action Group is currently investigating the costs for two drones, stationary cameras, specialised water-monitoring software and the appointment of specialised monitors who will analyse shark activity and notify (proper) authorities for beach closures."

A group of locals in Plettenberg Bay gathered early on Monday to lay flowers at Central Beach in memory of Kiki.