New Caledonia - A 57-year-old man died after a horrific shark attack on the New Caledonia archipelago on Sunday.

The amateur sailor wanted to anchor off Maître Island and swim a few laps in the South Pacific, the authorities of the French overseas territory reported, according to FranceInfo.

He was attacked and bitten on the leg by a shark just a few hundred yards from the beach, in a place where swimming is actually forbidden, they said.

The man died of a cardiac arrest before he could be reached by a helicopter sent to airlift him to a hospital.

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A witness saw the attack and brought the unconscious man to the beach by boat.

The entire beach promenade was closed as a result of the tragedy.

Shark attacks in New Caledonia are relatively rare, this being only the 18th incident recorded since 1848, according to the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File. The US continues to lead the way in unprovoked attacks, with 33 confirmed cases in 2020.

It's unclear what type of shark was involved in Sunday's tragedy.