A mum who was horrifically savaged by a great white shark while on holiday with her family is believed to have been peacefully paddling on a beach when she was killed.
South African restaurant owner Kimon Bisogno, 39, was brutally killed after she took a bank holiday weekend away for Heritage Day.
The mum, "love-of-her-life" Diego Milesi, 40, and her daughter Luna, 5 drove 300 miles from their home in Cape Town to a luxury Beacon Isle hotel complex in Plettenberg Bay for three days after rebuilding their business after Covid.
But yesterday, just before 8am, it has been reported that Kimon - know to friends as Kiki - went into the water for an early morning dip.
Tragically, the mum was only waist deep when she was shockingly attacked by the huge great white shark.
With her family yards away, witnesses said the sea around Kimon "turned red" as horrified fellow swimmers fled the water screaming.
A desperate call was immediately sent out to the local lifeboat for help, as it was too dangerous for locals to go in.
Consequently, the Bitou Municipality - which oversees the beach - has shut down the Bay, put up shark signs and posted lifeguards around the area to keep tourists out of the water.
The National Sea Rescue Institute rushed to the scene and tragically found Kimon’s blood-soaked body floating in the surf about 50 yards out from where she was attacked.
The lifeboat men pulled her badly bitten body onto a stretcher and returned to base.
Unfortunately, the instant attack was so brutal that nothing could have been done to save the mum's life.
Following this, her body was then handed over to forensic pathologists, who will work closely with the police to carry out a post mortem.
An inquest will be held and, in the meantime, her family have been offered trauma counselling.
Speaking about the horror attack, close friend of Kimon, Carmin Commins, wrote on Facebook : “I have scrolled through your page over and over again and hoping that it is a mistake.
“I don’t know how the world could let someone like you go too soon but what I do know is that anyone that you met you touched their life with your love.
"The world truly lost a bright shining light and pure soul who left happiness, laughter, glitter and kindness where ever you went.
“You were so genuine with so much love in your heart.”
And another friend, Gabrielle Alberts, added: “Such sad news. I will remember your joyous, infectious laugh forever. RIP Kimon – too good for this earth”.
Kimon and Diego met on holiday in Ibiza 13 years ago, and had moved together to be in her native Cape Town. The 'love-of-her-life' posted a heartbreaking video on Facebook recalling the early memories of their love, saying: “Our love story goes back 13 years. I couldn’t speak English.
"You couldn’t speak Italian. But we connected through cooking”.
The power couple went on to set up the popular Fernando’s Pizza restaurant and takeaway in Cape Town.
Both were committed to helping out the less fortunate in life, with a close friend saying: “They worked very hard and very long hours but both of them were very away of their social responsibilities to others."
The friend added: “Both believed very much in saving the planet and were hippy types who saw the best in everyone and earning money was just a means to help others.
“They were blessed when Luna was born 5 years ago and were a perfect family and the news of her passing in such a way has just left us all in bits.
“She was such a perfect loving wife and mum – why her?”.
This tragic attack comes as the second death in the idyllic resort in just three months and the third in 11 years.
Last year in June, stockbroker and married dad Bruce Wolov was torn apart just off the shore of the Plettenberg Bay.
And in 2011, local carpenter and keen surfer Tim Van Heerden was on his board when a great white shark attacked while he was waiting to catch a wave.
Speaking about the horror of the brutal attacks, Bitou Municipality Mayor David Swart said: “We have never had a fatality until 2011 and now we have had three with two of those in the last three months.
“We are researching and looking at putting up a shark barrier and increased warning signage and start our lifeguard’s season a month earlier than usual.
"There seems to be no change in the shark’s behaviour in this area so it is a bit of a mystery why we have had three fatal attacks in such a short space of time.
“Our thoughts go out to the woman and her family at this time.”
Great white sharks can grow up to 20 feet long, and in their giant jaws have up to 300 razor sharp serrated teeth arranged in rows.
The predator can swim at up to 35mph during a savage attack.
While they usually move away after biting their victim once - when they realise the human is not their natural prey - the damage done by just one shark bite is often fatal.
Reportedly, victims of great white sharks lose blood quickly as their arteries have been severed by the razor-sharp teeth of the beast.
In the last 25 years 37 people have been killed in shark attacks off South Africa and going back as far as 1950 the figure rises 66 falling victim to their jaws.
A South African shark expert, who asked not to be named, said: “You have to remember the ocean has always been the territory of the shark – they rule.
“There are more and more people in the water these days what with surfing and paddle boarding and swimming and the sharks are always ever present.
“But they are not seeking out humans and attacks are rare and usually not intended as they are mistaken for prey but the results are often fatal.
“You have 47 time more chance of being killed by lightning or 11 times more chance of being killed by fireworks than being killed by a shark."
