Shark Tears Man to Pieces at South African Coastline

Sometimes life shows more thrilling things than can be seen in horror films. A shark described as "dinosaur huge" killed a tourist only a few yards off the shore of a popular Cape Town beach in South Africa.

Photo: Shark Tears Man to Pieces at South African Coastline

Lloyd Skinner, a 37-year-old engineer and marathon runner from Zimbabwe, was neck deep in water when a large shark - believed to be a Great White - attacked twice and pulled him under, leaving behind a pool of blood, South Africa's newspapers reported.

A witness described the monster, quaking with fear: "That shark was huge. Like dinosaur huge ... longer than a mini-bus."

There were several reports of body parts being spotted in the water, but after two days of searches only Skinner's swimming goggles have been recovered.

"We don't expect to find anything," Ian Koppler, a helicopter commander with the National Sea Rescue Institute, told reporters.

Sightings of Great Whites are common in the waters off South Africa between August and March. The last fatal attack off Fish Hoek Beach occurred in 2004.

"The appearance of white sharks is normal during peak summer months in Cape Town near in-shore areas, as these sharks are known to hunt and feed along this stretch of coastline at this time of year," a Cape Town Disaster Risk Management agency spokesperson told South Africa's News24.

New York Daily News has contributed to the report.