A young up and coming French surfer was killed yesterday in a shark attack off of Reunion Island. Elio Canestri, 13, was attacked while surfing with seven others off the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion. Reports stated that the area has been banned for swimmers due to the risk of attack.
La Reunion local Jeremy Flores, who won the Billabong Pipeline Masters in Hawaii in 2010, paid tribute to Canestri on his Instagram account: “ANOTHER shark attack in Reunion island this morning. 13 years old Elio was one of our best up and coming surfer. Words can’t describe how sad and angry i am. So young !!! Heart breaking News. RIP :(”
There have been 16 shark attacks, seven of them fatal, in the island’s waters over the past four years.
