Brit, 44, eaten by shark pictured after wife ID’d wedding ring found in beast off Reunion island
A BRIT who was eaten by a shark has been pictured for the first time after his wife forced to identify him by his arm and wedding ring found inside the predator.
The 44 year old man, Richard Martyn Turner, was snorkelling on the Island of Reunion by himself when he vanished in an area where four sharks were later caught.
He was reported missing by his wife Verity on Sunday and the grizzly remains of the hand were found inside the stomach of a 9ft tiger shark after they were brought ashore.
She told cops in the Indian Ocean paradise of Reunion Island she recognized a ring on the finger as belonging to her missing husband.
The couple were staying in the exclusive five star Lux Hotel on St Gilles and had arrived last week to celebrate Verity's 40th birthday.
Yesterday a police source on the island told The Sun:''The hand and forearm of a man was found inside the stomach of one of the captured tiger sharks.
All four were around three to four metres long.
THREE MORE SHARKS TO HAVE STOMACH CONTENTS EXAMINED
''The woman identified the ring as belonging to her husband but the DNA tests will officially confirm if it is the missing man. Further investigations will be carried out on the sharks and the contents of their stomachs examined.
''The sharks were caught because they were swimming way out of their natural habitat. They were in the lagoon area which is shark free because of the coral but they somehow managed to find a way in.
''They were taken to the shark research centre where the autopsy was carried out and the human remains found.
''At this stage we don't know if the man drowned and was then attacked or if he was attacked while swimming.''
The couple were staying in the exclusive five star Lux Hotel on St Gilles and had arrived last week to celebrate Verity's birthday.
A police helicopter was called in for the search on Saturday but no trace could be found of him.
The couple were originally from the north west of England but had moved to Scotland 15 years ago.
Friends who worked with him at Scotland's land registry have said he was a 'kind' and a 'very English eccentric'.
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Richard worked for the Scottish civil service in Edinburgh and his wife was employed at a local events company.
Shark attacks are common in Reunion and since 2011 there have been 27 with 11 proving fatal.
The island is classed as French department and last month during a visit President Emmanuel Macron said Paris would double financial assistance to two million Euros to help prevent shark attacks.
Last night the Foreign Office said:''We are providing support to the family of a British man who died while snorkelling in La Réunion and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Tiger sharks - the deadly marine predators with jaws so powerful they can crack the shell of a sea turtle
Tiger sharks have excellent senses of sight and smell and a nearly limitless menu of diet items.
They have sharp, highly serrated teeth and powerful jaws that allow them to crack the shells of sea turtles and clams.
The stomach contents of captured tiger sharks have included stingrays, sea snakes, seals, birds, squids, and even license plates and old tires.
Tiger sharks are common in tropical and sub-tropical waters throughout the world.
Large specimens can grow to as much as 20 to 25 feet in length and weigh more than 1,900 pounds.
They are heavily harvested for their fins, skin, and flesh, and their livers contain high levels of vitamin A, which is processed into vitamin oil.
They have extremely low repopulation rates, and therefore may be highly susceptible to fishing pressure.
They are listed as near threatened throughout their range.
Source: National Geographic
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