Arthur Medici pictured with the woman said to be his fiancé. Her brother was with Medici when he was attacked. Photo / Supplied
Arthur Medici pictured with the woman said to be his fiancé. Her brother was with Medici when he was attacked. Photo / Supplied
A 26-year-old man in the US who was tragically killed in shark attack over the weekend was engaged to be married and an aspiring engineer who loved the outdoors.
Arthur Medici was attacked on Saturday afternoon when he was boogie boarding with his fiancé's brother at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, police say.
The Cape Cod National Park Service reported that at 12.30pm the Revere man was knocked off his board then attacked by the shark. Police identified him Saturday evening, the Daily Mail reported.
Beach-goers at the scene take the body of the Brazil man up the beach. Photo / Supplied
Medici was born in Brazil and came to the United States two years ago to attend college to be an engineer, according to WCVB.
A GoFundMe page set up by grieving family and friends stated that the late Medici was "happily engaged to a smart, kind-hearted medical student with a bright future."
Loved ones described him as a devout Christian who was humble, kind and always willing to help others.
"He loved life, he was an active member of a Christian church, devoting his life to the Lord. He participated in the praise group of the church in Revere and was very involved in all of the church activities.
"He loved hiking, biking, surfing and various other sports. There was never a bad time for him. He was always joyful and willing to help others, even going as far as feeding the homeless.
"Our lives are are never going to be the same without him. His laughter filled our home and he will be greatly missed by us all."
The crowdfunding page reached US$18,423 of its US$25,000 goal as of early Sunday evening.
Following the attack Medici was brought to the shore by his friend where CPR was performed on him and beach goers tried to make a tourniquet to stop the blood flow, according to CBS.
Two signs at the top of the dune at Newcomb Hollow Beach alert visitors that the beach is closed to swimming. Photo / AP
He was taken to a Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis where he died, State Police spokesman David Procopio said in a statement. The details of his injuries have not been revealed.
The beach was closed after the vicious attack and police released his identity Saturday evening.
Local fisherman and surfer Joe Booth said he was on the shore and witnessed the shark's strike. He said the victim aggressively kicked something behind him then he saw a flicker of a tail in the water.
"I was that guy on the beach screaming 'Shark, shark!' It was like right out of that movie Jaws. This has turned into Amity Island real quick out here," Booth said WBUR.
A California surfer on the beach, who chose to remain anonymous, told the Boston Globe that he saw Medici unconscious and heavily bleeding from his right leg.
"I saw that he was bleeding and reached around the back of his leg, and there was nothing there. And there were bone-deep lacerations down by his calf," he said.
Surfer Andrew Jacobs shared video of dozens of Good Samaritans carrying the victim's body away from the water.
"Pretty sad day at the beach today. Amazing effort by everyone who jumped into action to help this young man out. Prayers to him and his family," Jacobs captioned his video.
Former lifeguard and witness Hayley Williamson said she was shocked to hear of the attack.
"We've been surfing all morning right here and they were just further down. Right spot, wrong time, I guess," she said to WHDH.
"Today is just keeping everyone out of water. There'll be a determination later about what the town wants to do with the beaches going forward," Wellfleet Police Lieutenant Michael Hurley said.
Two people look out at the shore after a reported shark attack at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet. Photo / AP
The Saturday incident is the state's first shark attack fatality since 1936. This is the second shark attack to take place in Cape Cod this summer.
On August, 15, a 61-year-old New York man was severely injured after fighting off a shark off Truro, Massachusetts, 6.5km north of where Saturday's attack took place. He's recovering from his wounds in a Boston hospital.
Newcomb Hollow Beach, where Medici was boogie boarding, has a sign saying 'Be Shark Smart' warning swimmers to avoid going near seals and to swim near the shore.
'The inshore waters off Wellfleet are a feeding ground for Great White Sharks. They come to this area to feed on seals. Great White Sharks are predators and should be considered dangerous. Encounters with sharks are rare, but please remain alert,' the sign said.
Wellfleet beach is popular with surfers and was busy on Saturday, even though lifeguards were no longer on watch as the summer season is over.
The Wellfleet Police Department reported the incident on Facebook shortly afterwards saying it is believed to be a shark bite attack.
Police did not name the victim until Saturday evening.
The attack is being investigated by State Police and the Cape and Islands District Attorney's office.
