Man punches shark to save wife during attack on idyllic island

A man punched a shark to stop it attacking his wife on a remote idyllic island.

The British woman was snorkelling on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic when she was attacked by a shark.

The attack took place near the shore at English Bay at about 4pm on Saturday.

A witness told The Times: ‘She was bitten on the leg. Her husband had to punch the shark off her. It then went for him.’

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The woman is reported to be a member of the government of the island of Saint Helena, which is a British Overseas Territory along with Ascension Island.

She was treated at Georgetown Hospital on Ascension Island but was then airlifted back to the UK.

The extent of her injuries sustained in the attack is not known.

Saint Helena is just over 1,000 miles off the west coast of Africa and the government there has warned swimmers that they enter the water at their own risk.

Along with the island of Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena and Ascension Island form a British Overseas Territory.

Saint Helena is famous as being the island where Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled in 1815 after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

Ascension Island was used as a staging post for British troops during the Falklands War.