Fort Lauderdale Florida shark kills tourist

Tourist killed by sharks in Florida

Vienna lawyer Markus Groh, 49, had a fatal shark encounter about 50 miles off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

He was part of a group of Austrian tourists taking part in a tour conducted by Scuba Adventures, a Riviera Beach Florida business which advertises "unique shark trips" and "face to face" encounters with sharks off the Florida coast. To ensure shark encounters, sharks are lured to the site with fish and fish parts. The Scuba Adventures website promises that its hammerhead and tiger shark expeditions in the Bahamas are "These unique shark trips are being run exclusively for shark enthusiasts and photographers. The site also says "Even in a “baiting” situation they tend to be very cautious.

Groh was in the open water without a cage or similar protection when the shark adventure turned fatal and he was biten on the leg and mauled by one of the lured sharks. He later died after being air-lifted to a Fort Lauderdale hospital.