The 59-year-old man, who was holidaying and is believed to have been travelling alone, was swimming close to a pontoon about 150 metres from the beach in the capital Noumea on Sunday when the shark attacked, biting him several times.
CCTV footage shows lifesavers rushing out on jet skis to help the man who suffered severe wounds to his arms and legs.
Lifesavers took him to shore and try and resuscitate him for 20 minutes before the ambulance arrived but he died at the scene.
It is believed a four-metre tiger shark attacked the 59-year-old.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed the death of the Australian man and said it is providing consular assistance to his family.
“DFAT offers its condolences to the family, who has requested privacy at this difficult time,” a DFAT spokesperson said.
“Owing to our privacy obligations and out of respect for the family’s wishes, we are unable to provide further comment.”
The sea off the was packed with people at the time of Sunday’s incident.
One witness to the attack described the horrific injuries the man suffered.
“I offered my help to give CPR because back in France I’m a paramedic,” Amal Gicquel said.
“But when I arrived there were many people helping already like nurses and doctors were helping the lifeguards.
“I saw the victim and he was bitten on the legs, one hand was gone and the other hand was gone.
Police evacuated the beach after a mass rush from the waters to the beach.
Local prosecutor Yves Dupas told AFP two people sailing their boat nearby rushed him back to the Chateau-Royal beach, just south of the capital Noumea, where emergency services tried to save him.
Details have emerged of the man’s injuries and efforts to save him.
Paramedic Vincent Ouradou told local television network Nouvelle Caledonie 1ere that the victim had been bitten three times by the shark: on the right leg and on both arms.
“The man was simply swimming. I think at least three parts of his body have been bitten off, his right leg and his two arms, he unfortunately died of these injuries,” Ouradou said.
Following the man’s death, authorities deployed three drones to search for the shark but it has yet to be observed. The search will continue on Tuesday.
The beach had only reopened last Thursday after a similar attack three weeks ago in the same spot.
Local Bridgette Do, 49, is currently recovering in Westmead Hospital after she was attacked by a shark on her daily swim.
She lost a hand, four fingers from the other hand and part of her leg.
Do’s father Owen Drew was asked whether it was a miracle she was alive and he said yes as she suffered “unbelievable wounds”.
“She is very lucky she had those people assist her on the beach,” Drew said.
Noosa couple Lance Rae and his wife Jane, who is a nurse, were among the first on the scene when Do was attacked.
“She was very calm and she was very resilient and you could see she had a strong will to live,” Jane said.
“She had lost a lot of blood but she remained conscious until the paramedics arrived.”
But while she was being treated on the shore, the shark was lurking after following the trail of blood towards the beach.
“I saw the shark was coming in again I said to the policeman ‘shoot the shark’, I said ‘give me the gun I’ll shoot the shark’ ,” Lance said.
President of New Caledonia’s Southern Province Sonia Backes said witnesses had been left in distress after Sunday’s attack.
“There were young children who were shocked by what they saw,” she told Nouvelle Caledonie 1ere.
Chateau Royal Beach and other nearby beaches have been closed indefinitely.
Following the death, authorities also announced a culling program for tiger sharks and bull sharks.
New Caledonia lies 1200km east of Australia.
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, it is ranked 13th in the world for the total number of shark attacks.
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