It happened on a beach in Noumea on Sunday 29 January 2023. 

A woman was swimming quietly on Sunday 29 January on the beach of the Royal Castle in Noumea. It is one of the busiest beaches in the city. She was about 100 metres from the shore when she was attacked. The shark is believed to be between 3 and 4 metres long. The bather was alone. Her screams alerted other bathers. It was finally a man on a paddle who quickly came to her aid. The woman in her forties was bitten on the hand, thigh and leg. The beaches of Noumea were immediately closed to swimming. The authorities immediately sent a drone to locate the animal in order to hunt it down.
There is currently a debate in Caledonia between those who want sharks to be hunted and environmentalists who do not.