Man dies in New Zealand shark attack

AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- A shark possibly 14 feet long killed a swimmer near a popular beach yesterday, then disappeared after police attempting to save the man fired gunshots at the enormous predator.

Muriwai Beach, near Auckland, was closed after the fatal attack, one of only about a dozen in New Zealand in 180 years.

The body of Adam Strange, 46 a television and short-film director, was recovered, the New Zealand Herald said. Strange won a Crystal Bear award for best short film at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival, his company's website said.

Pio Mose, who was fishing at the beach, told the Herald he saw the swimmer struggle against the huge shark. He told the man to swim to the rocks, but it was too late.

The swimmer was about 650 feet offshore, police said. Officers in inflatable lifesaving boats shot at the shark, but it got away. -- AP