An Italian diplomat representing the European Union lost his life to a tiger shark attack near Egypt’s Red Sea area at a famed luxury resort. His friend valiantly fought the shark in an effort to rescue him.
Gianluca Di Gioia, a 48-year-old Rome native, was celebrating his birthday at the Sataya Resort in Marsa Alam, Egypt. On Sunday, December 29, he and Giuseppe Fappani, 69, decided to go snorkeling. They were about 150 feet away from the beach when Di Gioia came face-to-face with the tiger shark.
Fappani’s wife, who saw the attack from the shore, shared that her husband tried to intervene when he saw Di Gioia under attack. Di Gioia incurred severe injuries to his arms and legs during the initial attack. “It bit me and didn’t let go,” Fappani narrated his attempt to rescue his friend.
Di Gioia, part of the diplomatic service of the EU’s European External Action Service, was beyond the coral reef in an area reached by the resort’s jetty when the shark attacked. Local authorities confirmed that the site was outside the designated swimming zone.
Officials in Egypt have initiated an investigation into what they describe as an “anomalous” incident, emphasizing that such attacks are rare during the winter season. The resort’s pier and the nearby waters are closed for the duration of the investigation.
Fappani sustained injuries during his attempted rescue but survived the encounter. Locals assisted in getting Fappani out of the water. Both men were taken to a nearby hospital, where Di Gioia later succumbed to his injuries.
This attack is one in a series of recent shark incidents in Egypt’s Red Sea area. Marine experts are looking into several factors that might be influencing changes in shark behavior, including unchecked coastal development, overfishing, and certain tourism activities that may be impacting the marine ecosystem.
The stretch of sea where the attack occurred has been temporarily closed by Egyptian authorities, with the closure expected to be in place until January 1. An emergency committee has been established to delve into the causes of the attack.
