Half of Missing Fisherman's Body Found After Being Eaten by Sharks

The body of a missing fisherman has been found after a two-day search, but by the time the authorities tracked him down he had been partially devoured by sharks.

The victim was last seen on May 10, fishing in the waters off Lubang in the Philippines, according to GMA News Online.

When the authorities first saw his body, they thought it was a bird floating on the water, Lubang Mayor Mike Orayani told GMA News. It was only after they got closer that they saw it was a corpse.

"[When] they reached the corpse, the head was still there, [but] there were so many tiger sharks around [and] they were eating the body," he said.

Members of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine Coast Guard were at the scene and a maritime police officer shot one of the sharks. However, they were still only able to recover half of the victim's body and return it to his family.

Tiger sharks are found throughout the world's tropical and temperate waters, with the exception of the Mediterranean sea. They thrive in the open ocean and in shallow coastal waters and will eat almost anything, according to the Florida Museum's Shark File.

Tiger sharks are named after the distinctive tiger-like stripes that run across the length of their bodies and are one of the largest living shark species on Earth, growing up to 18 feet long and weighing up to 2,000 pounds.

Although they are usually curious and unaggressive when encountered, tiger sharks are still implicated in more unprovoked attacks than any other species apart from the great white shark. Of these, 27 percent have been fatal, a higher percentage than any other species.

It's unclear whether the man was already dead by the time the sharks got to him. A segment of the GMA News report was shared to social media, receiving tens of thousands of views on YouTube.

"There are a lot of sharks there," said one user.

"His death is very painful especially because he loved life so much. Condolences to the family," said another.

Shark attacks are extremely rare, but should you ever find yourself swimming with sharks, there are a few safety measures you can take. The Florida Museum recommends always swimming with a buddy and staying close to the shore. Avoid swimming at dawn or dusk and do not swim around schools of fish or where people are fishing.

If you see a shark, maintain eye contact, move away slowly and avoid excessive splashing.

Update 5/16/23, 12:11 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include an additional picture.