“Sharkman” Mike Rutzen badly injured in car crash
Mark Rutzen, “Sharkman,” holds the fin of a great white shark. Rutzen was badly injured in a car accident in Mozambique this week. The crash took the life of his girlfriend.
South African "Sharkman" Mike Rutzen was badly injured Tuesday in a car crash in Mozambique.
The deadly crash took the life of his Italian girlfriend Elisabetta Castella who died at the scene, reported il Risveglio.
Rutzen, a shark expert, was the host of a show on Discovery Channel called "Sharkman."
The fearless host often swam with sharks and even rode the waters holding their fins.
More from GlobalPost: Man drags shark into water after it swims near children (VIDEO)
He was also featured on the History Channel show "Superhumans," in which he was presented as a master of sharks.
In March 2010, he was on American television show 60 minutes discussing sharks with Anderson Cooper.
Rutzen was a proponent of shark conservation efforts.
The Cape Town native is said to be in serious condition after the crash with a punctured lung and broken ribs, reported ioL news.
The couple were on holiday in Mozambique but were airlifted back to South Africa.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!