Hand found in belly of tiger shark

The hand of a Scottish tourist has been discovered in the stomach of a tiger shark caught off the coast of Reunion Island.

The 44-year-old man, who has not been identified, disappeared while snorkelling in Hermitage Lagoon on Saturday.

His remains were identified by his wife by his wedding ring.

The shark was among several caught on Monday and Tuesday in the Indian Ocean by the Centre de Securite Requin for research purposes.

It was found just over four miles from the lagoon where the victim was last seen.

The shark was examined on Wednesday morning.

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

A spokesman for the local search and rescue agency said the shark had been caught as part of regular culls in the region.

He added: “The victim was certainly swimming but it is not clear whether he was attacked or he was already dead when he was eaten.

“One possibility is that he became unwell while in the lagoon and was taken by the currents into deeper water.”

He said it might not be possible to ever determine the cause of death without a body, but said blood tests and DNA tests would be conducted on the hand.

The spokesman added that currently there is no ongoing operation to look for the man’s remains.

“If we find a body, it is usually within the first 48 hours of it going missing,” he said.

Swimming and surfing has been banned in Reunion, a French overseas territory, since 2013.

It is only permitted in the shallows of the island’s lagoons but many surfers flout the rules because of its famous waves.

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

This year a fisherman and a surfer have been killed by sharks in Reunion’s waters.

“One possibility is that he became unwell while in the lagoon”