British tourist’s hand and wedding ring found in shark

THE dismembered hand of a missing Scottish tourist has been discovered in the stomach of a tiger shark caught off the coast of Réunion Island.

The 44-year-old man disappeared while snorkelling in Hermitage Lagoon on Saturday.

He is believed to have been on a week-long holiday with his wife. The hand was identified because it still had his wedding ring attached, a local television channel reported.

The shark was among several caught in the Indian Ocean for research purposes on Monday and Tuesday. It was just over four miles from the lagoon where the victim, a strong swimmer, was last seen.

A post-mortem examination has yet to take place, and it is not known whether the tourist drowned and was subsequently eaten by the shark, or whether he was attacked by it.

A source told The Sun that the man had been in the Hermitage Lagoon alone on Saturday, adding: “When he did not get back, his wife sounded the alarm, and a full search was launched, involving boats and a helicopter.

“Divers searched around a coral reef in the area, and there were also patrols on land involving sniffer dogs. Sadly, the man could not be found.”

A spokesman for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office said: “We are providing support to the family of a British man who died while snorkelling in Réunion and are in contact with the local authorities.”

Most swimming and surfing has been banned in Réunion – a French overseas territory – since the summer of 2013 after rising numbers of attacks. It is only permitted in the shallow waters of the island’s lagoons.

French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that he would like to see water sports reintroduced by 2022, but that he wanted “to be sure” it would be safe to do so.

There have been two confirmed fatal shark attacks in Réunion’s waters so far this year. In January a fisherman died from injuries after his leg was torn off, while a surfer was killed in May.