The body of a fisherman who went missing following a suspected shark attack near Hibberdene on KZN’s South Coast has been recovered.

According to The Witness, the 37-year-old man was fishing with two others along the coastline of Mfazazana on Friday, where a school of sardines had drawn marine activity closer to the shore.

Craig Lambinon, the spokesperson for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), said it is believed the man disappeared underwater after a shark surfaced in the area where the group was fishing.

“One of his friends tried to intervene but was confronted by at least two other sharks and was forced to retreat to the shoreline,” Lambinon said.

“At the time, the sharks were actively feeding on the sardine run.”

The NSRI, with help from the SAPS K9 Search and Rescue teams, launched a search operation on Friday. The man’s body was eventually discovered yesterday.

“The body recovered by police divers appears to show signs of obvious shark wounds that are now being investigated,” Lambinon confirmed.

The man’s body has been handed over to police and the provincial forensic pathology services. A formal identification process is underway, and police have opened an inquest docket.

Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.

Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.