Forensic investigation of a suspicious fatality in the Indian Ocean: who is the culprit?

Recreational aquatic activities carry a significant risk of injury and fatality, with drowning being the primary cause of death. Although encounters with aquatic wildlife are usually accidental, they can occasionally result in severe stings or bites. Here, we present the case of a man in his early thirties who suddenly disappeared while swimming with seven others in the Gulf of Aden, just ten minutes after entering the water. Despite extensive search efforts, he could not be located. His body was recovered on the shore forty-eight hours later. The autopsy revealed a large, irregular, semicircular wound of 42 cm in diameter, with distinct bite marks on the right side of the torso, strongly suggestive of a shark attack. However, no shark tooth fragments were recovered during the examination. No evidence of drowning or myocardial infarction was identified. The wound margins exhibited haemorrhagic infiltration, indicating vital tissue reaction. Although the probability of a shark attack is minimal compared with other causes of injury and death in such environments, the findings in this case were compelling. This article examines the evidence supporting a fatal shark attack, as opposed to postmortem scavenging of a victim who died from alternative causes, and presents the forensic arguments and indicators that led to the identification of the responsible species, the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier).