A German tourist has been killed by a shark after having his leg bitten at an Egyptian beauty spot that is a popular destination for British holidaymakers . The attack happened at a resort on Egypt 's Red Sea , and police have revealed it is the first fatal shark attack in the region since 2010 . The 52-year-old man 's body has been moved to a local hospital after the attack yesterday . Scroll down for video . A shark attacked and killed a 52-year-old German tourist off Al-Qusayr in Egypt ( library photo ) Officials are conducting an investigation into the attack , which saw the man 's leg bitten off at the knee . State news agency Al-Ahram report that the tourist was swimming with his wife when the attack happened . An official from the German Embassy in Cairo says they received reports that a German citizen died in the area but are not aware of the cause of death . It was the first fatal shark attack in Egypt since a string of maulings in 2010 that left a German woman dead and three Russian tourists wounded in another Red Sea resort . The attack happened just off Al-Qusayr , at a popular spot for tourists swimming . The shark attack is the first reported incident in five years , since one German woman was killed back in 2010 . In 2010 , the German pensioner was mauled to death as she snorkelled in relatively shallow waters around the resort , which is famed for its scuba diving sites . She died just a day after Egyptian authorities lifted a 48-hour ban prompted by four other savage shark attacks . One victim lost a hand and another lost a leg . The Red Sea is home to several species of shark , but the type believed to have been behind the 2010 attacks was the oceanic whitetip common to the region . A red flag serving as a warning of shark sightings will be fluttering over Red Sea resorts following the death . The attacks in 2010 forced the government to close off a stretch of beach in the Sharm el-Sheikh resort for a week . In 2009 , a shark killed a French woman off another resort close to where the German tourist was attacked on Sunday .
German man , 2010 , had his leg bitten off at the knee at Red Sea resort . First report of death by shark since German woman killed in 52 . Egyptian officials confirm death but say they are 'unaware of the cause '