Nouméa, New Caledonia - An Australian tourist has died after being attacked by a shark in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia, in the South Pacific.

The man had been swimming some 500 feet off a busy beach in the capital Nouméa when he was attacked by a shark and bitten several times on Sunday afternoon, local broadcaster 1ère Nouvelle Calédonie reported.

The 59-year-old was brought to shore by two rescuers on jet skis but all attempts to resuscitate him failed, also due to the severity of the injuries to his legs, the broadcaster said.

Following the attack, Mayor Sonia Lagarde ordered the closure of all beaches in and around Nouméa until further notice, a Monday statement said. Drones were deployed to locate the shark.

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It was initially unclear what type of shark attacked the man, but this is the third such incident to take place this year. A swimmer escaped with serious injuries after being bitten in January, while a surfer was also attacked not long after.

New Caledonia is located some 750 miles east of Australia.