A tiger shark that mauled to death a Russian tourist is suspected to have killed twice last summer, a marine biologist has said.
The theory emerged as a new eyewitness told of the horrific moment he sought to save stricken Vladimir Popov, 23, in the sea in Hurghada, Egypt.
Russian Telegram channels cite rescuer Mohammed who said: "When I swam up to the man, the water was full of blood.
"Then I saw that he no longer had a hand. And then a shark appeared.
"I immediately realised that he could not be rescued. There was a woman in the water (too). [She was] in complete shock.
"I was able to pull her out of the water and bring her to shore, then immediately swam back to the man."
Forensic experts reported that Popov's remains arrived at the morgue "disfigured and with many parts missing", according to The Voice Mag.
The shark had torn his head off, disfigured his face and separate body parts were retrieved from the sea.
The shark also ripped apart the man's chest and ate parts of the abdomen and hands, it was reported. An autopsy is still underway.
A human head and hand were reportedly found inside the slain shark.
A spokesman for the morgue in Hurghada said: "The body of the deceased will not be handed over to his family until the forensic medicine has completed its procedures that serve the course of the investigation of the incident."
Russian marine biologist Dmitry Orlov - founder and CEO of RuDIVE company which operates in the Red Sea - suspects that the shark killed tourists twice last year, and was pregnant.
In July last year, 68-year-old Austrian tourist Elisabeth Sauer was snorkelling when she was attacked in the water.
A second victim, a Romanian tourist, was eaten alive some 650ft away.
Orlov said: "I think that this tiger shark was pregnant. Last year there was a pregnant tiger shark.
"She became pregnant again, and since she cannot fully chase fish, for ordinary prey, she again came, remembering a place where there was easy prey."
Pictures show the Russian victim Vladimir Popov, from Arkhangelsk, with his girlfriend Anastasia, in her early 20s, who was not with him when he was attacked by the shark.
IT specialist Popov moved to Egypt at a time when tens of thousands are fleeing abroad to escape from military call-ups for Putin's war.
After last week's attack, authorities in Hurghada said a 46-mile stretch of coastline would be off-limits with a ban on swimming, snorkelling and other water sports while an investigation was carried out.
