13 June 2023 , 07:27
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The body parts of a Russian man who was eaten alive by a shark in Egypt have been recovered from inside the beast's belly.
In footage too gruesome to publish, the man, identified as 23-year-old Vladimir Popov, is seen duelling with the fearsome beast before losing his battle.
The shark was caught and clubbed to death on the beach before specialists dissected it and found Vladimir's remains in its intestines, local outlet Al Arabiya reported.
The Egyptian Ministry of Environment said in a statement that "the men of the Red Sea Reserves concluded that" a tiger shark was the one that attacked a beachgoer, which led to his death.
A Russian woman crying and screaming in shock near the sea where Vladimir was killed (Rossiya24 / East2west News)
Vladimir's legs spinning in the air moments before his death (social media / East2west News)Vladimir had gone swimming off one of Egypt’s Red Sea resorts when the beast emerged in the waters near the city of Hurghada and grabbed him.
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The nearly minute-long video shows Vladimir being suddenly pulled down into the water. He briefly resurfaces and desperately tries to fight off the shark.
The 23-year-old's body can be seen bobbing up and down in the water, as his legs spin in the air.
Vladimir screams "Papa" and cries out loudly as the shark repeatedly circles and comes back in to attack. But in seconds the water around him goes red.
Tragically, Vladimir's father was on the shore and saw his son's death unfold.
"We went to the beach to relax," Yury Popov told the 112 media outlet.
Vladimir Popov, 23, who was mauled to death (social media / East2west News)He continued: "My son was attacked by a shark, it all happened in seconds. What kind of help can you give? This meat grinder happened in 20 seconds, he was just dragged under the water."
Vladimir's girlfriend managed to escape the water, according to Yury.
"It’s a terrible thing, the remains of this guy are over there. I’m shaking. Right in front of my eyes, the shark ate that guy. I think I need a drink. I feel really bad," a woman told the Telegram channel Baza.
One witness told Russian station REN-TV: "It happened in a second. Rescuers reacted very quickly. For some reason, I immediately felt that it was a shark. I immediately jumped up and started shouting: ‘Sharks, sharks! Save yourself!’ Nobody understood yet."
Russian Consul-General Viktor Voropayev told state-owned TASS news agency that the Egyptian authorities had confirmed to him the death of the Russian national who was born in 1999.
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"The victim was not a tourist, but a permanent resident of Egypt," Voropayev told the news agency.
Yury said he would cremate his son and return his ashes to their native Russia.