Seriously injured, the man was treated by his colleagues before being stabilized by the medical team at the clinic. He must be evacuated urgently to Tahiti. This rare and tragic accident occurred on Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. in the calm waters of Rikitea Lagoon. Shortly after entering the water, a pearl diver was violently attacked by what appears to be a large tiger shark, according to the victim's initial statements. The information was revealed by our colleagues at TNTV and confirmed by the local clinic's doctor.

Quickly rescued by his colleagues, the injured man received first aid on site, including a tourniquet, before being rushed to the medical center. Thanks to the responsiveness of the medical teams, he was stabilized. His condition is not life-threatening, but the severity of the injury requires his medical evacuation to Tahiti.

This is not the first time a tiger shark has been spotted in the area. Last week, one reportedly attempted to attack a diver by biting his fin. These disturbing reports raise questions about the growing presence of these predators in the lagoon.

When contacted, Stéphane Paeamara, second deputy mayor of Rikitea, pointed out that “the lagoon is open to the ocean, and large sharks enter it, along with other pelagic fish.” This geographical configuration makes any form of control or prevention difficult.

While shark attacks remain rare in French Polynesia, this incident has reignited concerns among pearl farmers, who dive in these waters every day to carry out their work.