Maneating shark drags divers from friend's arms

A shark dragged a man from his friend’s arms and killed him today off Australia’s southern coast, officials said.

The victim, a 23-year-old professional diver, was diving for scallops from an anchored boat when he was attacked by the shark, South Australia Ambulance spokesman Lee Francis said.

The friend tried to pull the victim onto the boat but the shark pulled the man back into the water, Francis said.

The victim’s name was not released. The victim’s friend was not hurt, but was taken to a hospital to be treated for shock.

‘‘I understand he (the victim) came to the surface. There was a cry for help,’’ Francis said. ‘‘But as the other person tried to get him on board, the shark grabbed him and pulled him underneath.’’

Francis said the men’s boat was anchored off the small South Australian fishing port of Smoky Bay, about 300 miles northwest of the state capital Adelaide, when the attack happened around noon.

Smoky Bay is known as a haunt of the great white shark. However, officials could not confirm what kind of shark was involved in today’s attack.

It was the fifth fatal shark attack in South Australian waters in the past four years.

Two surfers died after attacks on consecutive days in September 2000. A windsurfer was killed in May 1999, and in June 1998 a man was killed while diving for abalone.

Today’s attack also followed the discovery last week of human remains inside a large tiger shark caught off Australia’s eastern coast.

The skull, arm and pelvis found inside the 10ft-long shark were identified as belonging to a missing fisherman who was washed into the sea while fishing from rocks south of Sydney.