‘It bit me and didn’t let go’: Snorkeller relives battle with tiger shark that killed diplomat friend in Egypt

A snorkeller fought off a killer tiger shark who mauled his friend to death as they dove off a resort in Egypt.

EU diplomat Gianluca Di Gioia, 48, from Rome, suffered catastrophic injuries as he swam in the shallow waters off Red Sea Sataya Resort on the captivating coastline of Marsa Alam.

Dentist Peppino Fappani ran towards Mr DiGioia, who he had met earlier on the holiday, initially fearing he was becoming ill when he cried for help.

It wasn’t until the 69-year-old was bitten on the leg himself by the giant tiger shark that he realised his life was also in danger, as distraught family members watched on in horror from the beach.

Speaking to Corriere Della Serra, Fappani’s daughter Cristina revealed how her father recounted the attack from his hospital bed after he suffered deep bite wounds to his legs and arms.

“I heard Gianluca scream ‘Help! Help!’, I thought he had been struck by an illness and was having difficulty getting back to shore, so I started swimming toward him”, Fappani told her. “I didn’t realise that there was a shark that had attacked Gianluca , also because I didn’t see the shark, at least until I felt it bite my legs.

“The shark bit me and didn’t let go. I fought until I was exhausted to get it off me. It pulled me down.”

Mr Fappani said that he managed to escape the encounter with his life but suffered “wounds to his legs and an arm” that required stitches and antibiotic treatment.

According to Cristina, her father owes his life to Egyptians who approached the bloodied waters with a dinghy and managed to push the shark away.

Then they hoisted him on board and took him to the safety of the beach.

Marsa Alam is an Egyptian coastal town known for its coral reefs, marine life and beaches.

The last attack was in June 2023 when a tiger shark killed a Russian national in Hurghada, another coastal resort north of Marsa Alam.

Vladimir Popov, 23, was eaten alive by a shark off a beach at an Egyptian resort in Hurghada in June. The attack was filmed from the shore by horrified onlookers as the 23-year-old screamed: “Papa, save me”.

Last month a tourist boat also capsized in the same area, leaving four dead and seven missing.

Sea Story was carrying 44 people and sank after being hit by a wave in the Red Sea at around 5.30am local time on 25 November.