Riptide Magazine

Reunion Island Shark Attack

Tuesday, 20 September 2011 10:57

At this stage we do not have much information regarding the attack. The main leads to this news item came from posts by fellow French riders Pierre-Louis Costes and World Champion Amaury Lavernhe both of whom were expressing their sympathies to the Schiller family. It should also be noted that Amaury is involved and respected in the debate about shark attack measures in Reunion Island.
The following translation comes from reunion.orange.fr.

This Monday, September 19, 2011, the former bodyboarding champion Mathieu Schiller was grabbed by a shark near the shore of the beach of Boucan Canot. Following the fatal attack, an emergency meeting was held in the prefecture in the late afternoon. "This repetition of deadly attacks requires public authorities, in consultation with the mayor of St. Paul to take emergency measures," said the prefect Michel Lalande. Two new measures have been decided. Starting this Tuesday, September 20, open-water activity (surfing, body boarding, kite-surfing, diving ...) will be prohibited in the band at 300 meters at the order of a mayor The red flame is lifted. Finally, a report on the conditions of sampling the species of sharks dangerous and unprotected will be available within three days.
"There is no question of exposing professionals and the population at risk," said the prefect Michel Lalande, on Monday evening after an emergency meeting with the member and mayor Huguette Bello. Without waiting for the conclusions of the workshops set up after the round table organized in St. Paul last July on the risk shark, the prefecture and the municipality of Saint-Paul wished that further immediate action. "Within hours, an order prohibiting open-water boating activities when the red flag is raised will be taken to the island. It is because, we are extremely sad that we respond well, "he said. However, the prefect noted that "this emergency stop when other more appropriate measures will be produced."

Concerning the second measure, Michel Lalande said "he had asked the Director of Environment, Spatial Planning and Housing (IEB) to propose a report within three days of sampling conditions the species of sharks and dangerous unprotected (tiger shark, mako and bull). " "It's not a shark hunt. These are samples that I will establish the conditions. I will rely on professional expertise and the legal framework, "he said. The prefect said that "two things aside, people who capture and the capture of revenge for the capture."

For his part, if the member and mayor of St. Paul, Huguette Bello welcomes the meeting "very fruitful", she wanted to react on certain points. "Any champion of surfing that is, we do not know the truth. I regret that there are many who give lessons, "she said. Comments that seem to echo those of Amaury Laverhne. Present on site, the world champion and bodyboarding friend of the victim, complained that "the matter was not taken seriously enough." He regretted "the hot reaction" of the elected mayor of St. Paul.

Finally, the prefect wished to express his "sincere condolences" to the family of the victim. "I do not forget that he was instructor in a surf school and that he knew the sea and its dangers," he added.

Recall that the attack took place around 3:10 p.m. this Monday, September 19, 2011 a few meters from the shore of the beach of Boucan Canot. According to testimony, Matthew Schiller was attacked once and then rescued by other surfers. But he was then swept away by a wave. Research to find his body were unsuccessful.

Moreover, the tragedy occurred when the red flag was hoisted on the beach of Boucan Canot due to the heavy swell. Remember that red flag up now formally banned swimming but not water sports, including bodyboard, for example.

This is the fourth shark attack this year, the second death. A young surfer was attacked in Saint-Gilles-les-Bains Wednesday, July 6, 2011. Part of his board had been torn. Wednesday, June 15, a bodyboarder was killed off Ti Boucan. This tragedy occurred in the dark after a period of heavy rainfall causing water pollution.

Following the attack, a roundtable was held Monday, July 25, 2011 for mayor of St. Paul in order to meet institutional and professional seafarers around the issue of risk sharks. Following an afternoon of discussions, the interventions had finally resulted in workshops organized in three areas: knowledge of the risk, prevention and management.

32 years old, Matthew Schiller was a professional sports. He was a lifeguard, holds a patent state sports instructor and ran a surf school. In an article devoted to it, the site www.local-brothers.fr/ note that he arrived in Reunion in 1979 at the age of 6 months. "He grew up a few steps from the beautiful beach of Boucan Canot. So naturally he turned to the sea and more specifically the bodyboard "says the site.

Matthew Schiller moved quickly through the field of the best bodyboarders. In 1993 he finished third in the championship of Reunion and junior vice champion of the meeting for the age of 14. The same year he became vice champion of France in Guadeloupe.

In 1994, he was champion of France of bodyboarding. In 1995 he finished in 7th place European Championship individual and becomes European champion team. In 1996, he was ninth at the Hollywood pro bodyboard (45th worldwide as a result of this competition he was invited to participate in the Master Pipe). In 2001, he was vice champion of Reunion and bodyboard in 2007, he was a finalist in this championship.

Between 2004 and 2007 he works as a lifeguard on the beaches of the island. In 2007, he obtained a patent state sports instructor in surfing and bodyboarding. He opened his surf school, the "Surf Boucan S'Cool" Boucan Canot in 2008.