Mon Dec 30 21:30:00 UTC 2024: ## Fatal Shark Attack Shuts Down Egyptian Red Sea Diving Site
**Marsa Alam, Egypt** – A tragic shark attack in Egypt’s Red Sea has claimed the life of a European Union official and injured another. Gianluca Di Gioia, 48, a researcher at the European External Action Service, died Sunday morning after being attacked by a tiger shark while scuba diving near Marsa Alam with a friend, Peppino Fappani, 69.
The attack occurred in deep water outside a designated swimming area. Fappani, who attempted to intervene, sustained minor injuries and was hospitalized. Both men were Italian nationals celebrating Di Gioia’s birthday.
Following the incident, Egyptian authorities temporarily closed the swimming area until Wednesday as a precaution and launched an investigation into the cause of the attack. While shark attacks are uncommon in the region, this incident follows a recent tourist yacht sinking in the same area that resulted in multiple casualties.
The Italian Embassy in Cairo is providing consular assistance to Di Gioia’s family. Meanwhile, Stony Brook University shark expert Oliver Shipley recently appeared on FOX Weather to address common misconceptions about shark behavior, highlighting the rarity of such attacks.
First Piper 